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Merchant Soldier Sage: A New History of Power
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Merchant Soldier Sage: A New History of Power Hardback - 2012

by David Priestland

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Reader reviews for Merchant Soldier Sage: A New History of Power

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From historian David Priestland, this is remarkable book proposes a radical approach to how we see our world and who runs it We live in an age ruled by merchants. Competition, flexibility and profit are still the common currency, even at a time when Western countries have been driven off a cliff by these very values. But will it always be this way? David Priestland argues for the predominance in any society of one of three broad value systems - that of the merchant (commercial and competitive); the soldier (aristocratic and militaristic); and the sage (bureaucratic or creative). These 'castes' struggle alongside the worker (egalitarian and artisanal) for power, and when they achieve supremacy, they can have such a strong hold over us that it is almost impossible to imagine life outside their grip. And yet there does come a point of drastic change, usually because one caste becomes too dominant. The result is economic crisis, war or revolution, and eventually a new caste takes over. Priestland argues, we are now in the midst of a period with all the classic signs of imminent change. As the history of the last century shows, there is good reason to be fearful of the forces that this failure may unleash. Merchant, Soldier, Sage is both a masterful dissection of our current predicament and a brilliant piece of history. The world will not look the same after you read this book. Reviews: 'We have here a gripping, argument-led history, efforlessly moving between New York, Tokyo and Berlin, from the Reformation to the 2008 economic crisis ... dazzling ... here, at last, is a work that places the current crisis in a longer history of seismic shifts in the balance of social power' Frank Trentman, BBC History Magazine 'Concise but extremely ambitious ... well worth pondering and reflecting on ... among the many contributions to the dissection of our current predicament, this is surely one of the most thought-provoking' Sir Richard J Evans, Guardian 'Stimulating ... In illustrating these larger processes of caste conflict and caste collaboration, the author offers crisp portraits of entrepreneurs, economists and warriors ... Sparkling prose and ... arresting comparisons' Ramachandra Guha, Financial Times About the author: David Priestland has studied Communism in all its forms for many years, in both Oxford and Moscow State Universities. He is University Lecturer in Modern History at Oxford and a Fellow of St. Edmund Hall, and the author of Stalinism and the Politics of Mobilization. The Red Flag was shortlisted for the Longman/History Today prize.

Details

  • Title Merchant Soldier Sage: A New History of Power
  • Author David Priestland
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition 1st Edition
  • Pages 400
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Allen Lane, London
  • Publication date 2012
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9781846144851 / 184614485X
  • Weight 1.25 lbs (0.57 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.45 x 6.38 x 1.26 in (24.00 x 16.21 x 3.20 cm)
  • Age range 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Category History - General History
  • Library of Congress subjects History, Modern, Economic history
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2012518992
  • Dewey Decimal Code 909.83

About the author

David Priestland is the author of the widely-praised and internationally acclaimed The Red Flag: Communism and the Making of the Modern World. While researching The Red Flag it became clear that it was neither Marx's 'classes', nor Huntingdon's clashing civilizations, nor even Fukuyama's competing ideologies that drove historical change, but 'caste struggle'. Merchant, Soldier, Sage is the result. He teaches history at Oxford University and is a Fellow of St. Edmund Hall.

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Merchant, Soldier, Sage : A New History of Power
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Merchant, Soldier, Sage : A New History of Power

by Priestland, David

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Hardback
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Very good
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1st Edition
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Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781846144851 / 184614485x
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Description:
London, UK: Allen Lane, 2012. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. 332pp. Red cloth-covered boards, silver titles on spine. Navy endpapers. Pages tanned. Internally neat, clean and tight. Paper dust jacket has some light chipping to edges, price unclipped. 8vo.
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Item price
A$21.15
A$28.84 Delivery to USA
Merchant Soldier Sage: A New History Of Power

Merchant Soldier Sage: A New History Of Power

by Priestland, David

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781846144851 / 184614485X
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A$16.48 Delivery to USA

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Paperback. Very Good.
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A$25.50
A$16.48 Delivery to USA
Merchant, Soldier, Sage : A New History of Power
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Merchant, Soldier, Sage : A New History of Power

by Priestland, David

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781846144851 / 184614485x
Quantity available
1
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Penguin Books, Limited. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Item price
A$21.80
A$10.04 Delivery to USA
Merchant Soldier Sage: A New History Of Power
Stock photo: cover may vary

Merchant Soldier Sage: A New History Of Power

by Priestland, David

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781846144851 / 184614485X
Quantity available
1
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Item price
A$76.15
Free Delivery to USA

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Description:
hardcover. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
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Item price
A$76.15
Free Delivery to USA