Nation Formation: Towards a Theory of Abstract Community (Politics and Culture series) - Tapa dura

`Much of what James says is perceptive and persuasive, making his book indispensible for students of nationalism' - Nations and Nationalism

`Paul James has written an interesting book about one of the most contested issues in contemporary social theory.... The book is certainly recommended to any student or scholar interested in the area. Especially the analysis and criticism of Nairn, Gellner and Giddens. It is excellent!' - European Journal of Development Research

The author guides the reader through the theoretical contributions of Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Gellner, Nairn and Giddens, demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments. This theoretical survey is threaded into a discussion of recent political crises such as the war in Bosnia and the genocide in Rwanda. Throughout, the aim is not to rediscover the concepts of `nation' and `nationalism' but to use classical and contemporary approaches to offer a new way of theorizing. James argues that the nation is an abstract and contradictory community. The result is a powerful book which operates as an overview of the key writings in the field and also gives a distinctive twist to the debate.