The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000, by Paul Kennedy

Paul Kennedy's international bestseller is a sweeping account of five hundred years of fluctuating economic muscle and military might among the great powers of the world. Kennedy begins with Europe's dramatic return to the forefront of world domination at the expense of China and the Muslim world and brings us up to modern times, with both on the brink of remarkable recovery. Along the way he explores world wars and civil wars, destructive ideologies, the paranoia of superpowers and the inherent problems of a united Europe. He persuasively demonstrates the interdependence of economic and military power, showing how imbalance between the two has historically led to spectacular political disaster. Erudite and brilliantly original, 'The Rise and Fall of Great Powers' is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the politics of power.