Ecology and Power in the Age of Empire: Europe and the Transformation of the Tropical World

by Corey Ross

Ecology and Power in the Age of Empire provides the first wide-ranging environmental history of the heyday of European imperialism, from the late nineteenth century to the end of the colonial era. It focuses on the ecological dimensions of the explosive growth of tropical commodity production, global trade, and modern resource management strategies that still visibly shape our world today, and how they were related to broader social, cultural, and political developments in Europe's colonies. Covering the overseas empires of all the major European powers, Corey Ross argues that tropical environments were not merely a stage on which conquest and subjugation took place, but were an essential part of the colonial project, profoundly shaping the imperial enterprise even as they were shaped by it. The story he tells is not only about the complexities of human experience, but also about people's relationship with the ecosystems in which they were themselves the soil, water,
plants, and animals that were likewise a part of Europe's empire. Although it shows that imperial conquest rarely represented the signal ecological trauma that some accounts suggest, it nonetheless demonstrates that modern imperialism marked a decisive and largely negative milestone for the natural environment. By relating the expansion of modern empire, global trade, and mass consumption to the momentous ecological shifts that they entailed, this book provides a historical perspective on the vital nexus of social, political, and environmental issues that we face in the twenty-first-century world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Nature

488 pages, Hardcover

Published June 6, 2017

Reviews

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very large and detailed book that draws on a wealth of knowledge about the ecological dimensions of European global imperialism. It is very ambitious, first, in geographical terms, bringing together materials from most major European imperial powers, and second, thematically, covering topics from mineral extraction, rubber production, to agricultural practices and dozens of other subjects. The result is a bit uneven and most peculiarly resulted in a somewhat homogenizing effect. Not only are all individual actors—colonial indigenous subjects, European imperial bureaucrats and agents—largely effaced from the narrative, but many of the geographies and empties almost appear interchangeable. However, Ross brings a clear awareness of the technical aspects of mining or agriculture which is sometimes sorely lacking in historical writing.

[Armistead B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I've never read a real ecological history and it's long been a blind spot for me. Ross' grand survey of colonial ecology is insightful and a must read for anyone interested in imperial history who is unfamiliar with the subject.

[Emilie Sermier · Rating 4 out of 5]

(J’ai dit au revoir à mon prof, ça m’a brisé le heart)

[Erin]

f'23 - penny - global europe