NO HAGIOGRAPHY OF EMPIRE is offered by Dominic Lieven, but the level of wisdom offered about the vital human aspects of imperial rulership make this a quietly devastating rebuttal of some of the cruder anti-imperialist critiques of our superficially revolutionary times. He acknowledges the flaws of a system of government which struggled in the face of contemporary challenges. But empire is still “the most prevalent type of polity in history”, with perhaps no enduring successor in sight.
His themes are stated as “geography, sovereignty and leadership”. Biography, however, plays a bigger role than the discussion of political structures. Attention focuses on the people who rule and the challenges, constraints and opportunities facing them. A succession of subtle and penetrating profiles illuminates the book. The qualities needed for a dynasty to continue always loom large. The character of imperial rulership also emerges with his examination of the role of
