| Review of: | Nationalism: A Very Short Introduction by Steven Grosby |
|---|---|
| Reviewed By: | Paul Lawrence |
| Reviewed in: | Nations and Nationalism |
| Date accepted online: | 02/11/2007 |
| Published in print: | Volume 13, Issue 03, Pages 539-559 |
Book Reviews
This slim volume forms part of OUP's
The book begins with some early examples of humans forming 'us' and 'them' groupings (Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks and Israelites) and poses the question - 'Were these ancient societies 'nations'?' (p. 3). Obviously, prior to tackling this debate Grosby has to provide an analysis of the term, and here he concentrates on two factors - birth and territory. His chapter on definitions is clear and concise, and the influence of Edward Shils' work is clear in Grosby's view of the nation as 'a community of kinship, specifically a bounded, territorially extensive, temporally deep community of nativity' (p. 14). The existence of this community usually involves a self-designated name, a centre (with institutions), 'a history that both asserts and is expressive of temporal continuity, and a relatively uniform culture that is often based on a common language, religion and law' (p. 20).
In exploring the rise of nations (a process, as Grosby acknowledges, 'beset with ambiguities and tensions', p. 20) he cites such factors as the development, in Europe at least, of pre-modern legal codes, and the formation of national armies. In the case of England, for example, he notes Henry II's edict of 1181, the Assize of Arms, that included 'not only the wealthy man with horse and armour', but also the poor 'who need only have bow and arrows' (p. 38), arguing that common service in war helped promulgate a sense of national identity even in the medieval period. Thus, dismissing those many authors who have seen nations as inherently modern (who he claims proceed 'by selecting only that evidence that appears to confirm the judgement that nations are historically novel', p. 58), Grosby claims that recognisable nations can be located in the pre-modern period. While careful to highlight the complexities of his claims, acknowledging that such a view 'requires the analyst to tolerate various ambiguities' (p. 74), he then explores the evidence for pre-modern nations via four examples - Sri Lanka (BCE 161 to 718 CE), Israel before 586 BCE, late seventh- to ninth-century Japan and medieval Poland. He also finds space for a useful chapter on the complex role different religions have played in the development of nations, and an interesting chapter speculating on the nature of human divisiveness.
Grosby thus squeezes a lot of discussion into a small, interesting book. However, prospective readers should probably be alerted to the fact that, despite its title, this book actually contains very little discussion of nationalism. As outlined, Grosby is primarily concerned with the origins of nations, and hence nationalism - 'a systematic, uncompromising, and unrealistic view of the world' (p. 18) of relatively recent advent - receives little attention. Also, while he does indicate to the reader that many of the issues discussed in the book are still the subject of some controversy, and while his strong line of argument does make for an engaging read, it might perhaps be argued that the novice reader will not get a full sense of the lively and continuing debate on the antiquity (or otherwise) of nations.
These points aside,