Philip Spencer and Howard Wollman (eds)(2005) Nations and Nationalism: A Reader. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. (ISBN 0 7486 1774 4) Price: £50 (hbk); (ISBN 0 7486 1775 2) Price: £18.99 (pbk). 328 pp.
Reviewed by Daniel Soule (University of Glasgow)
Nations and Nationalism: A Reader provides the prospective student of nationalism an excellent compendium with which to begin and further their studies on the subject. This publication may prove timely given recent events in London on 7/7 and 21/7 that saw a rash of copy in the opinion pages of the popular press concerning the nature of British national identity. Coming amidst a background of continued attempts at nation building in Iraq, domestic and international events may also further invigorate interest in the study of nations and nationalism within the academy. Regardless of a student's motivation for coming to this subject, Spencer and Wollman have compiled a well structured, accessible and thought provoking book, which presents the reader with a wide variety of approaches to the subject.
The editors begin with a well structured introduction, foregrounding the debates and placing them in their contemporary context. They also provide some enlightening academic history on the subject, summarising some of the ideas of Hegel, Rousseau, John Stuart Mill and Mazzini. The introduction is usefully subdivided into sections that reflect the theoretical structure of the book: giving the reader an overview and narrative with which to approach the upcoming contributions. At the back one can find suggested further reading that the engaged student may use to explore their particular intellectual affections. Accompanied by a fairly comprehensive and usable index this is a highly user friendly reader that can be read in full or, more likely, dipped in and out of.
Structured into six sections, this reader introduces the student to a selection of varied perspectives. Part 1 tackles 'The Origins of Nationalism', with contributions from, amongst others, Ernest Gellner, Benedict Anderson and Adrian Hastings. 'Approaches to Nationalism' follows in part 2 which demonstrates competing perspectives, from Erica Benner's interpretation of Marx and Engels' writings on nations and nationalism, to Joane Nagel's gender and sexuality based analysis. Parts 3 and 4 are concerned with 'Differentiating Nationalism - Nationalism, Racism, Ethnicity' and 'Forms of Nationalism' respectively, through the work of theorists such as Paul Gilroy, Michael Billig and the work of the editors themselves. 'National Self-Determination and Nationalist Mobilisation' is the focus of part 5, which amongst other noteworthy contributions is Partha Chatterjee's work that questions Benedict Anderson's 'imagined communities' thesis, represented in chapter 4. Chatterjee's argument is a good example of the intellectually vigorous discourse that can and should arise in academic study. The reader ends with the section entitled 'Globalisation, Citizenship and Nationalism'. This final section may be the most apposite to the current anxieties of Western society over issues of national identity and contains the work of Michael Mann, Stephen Castles and David Held. In the wake of globalization, concerns over mass migration and social and religious conflict around the world, the status of 'the nation' and the identity of its citizenry are clearly of contemporary importance.
Nations and Nationalism rises to the challenge of representing the multidisciplinary nature of this field. Theories emanate, generally speaking, from academics in political science, history and sociology, and this reader affords a student the opportunity to encounter and engage with work from a broader spectrum of interests in the subject, which can only enhance their studies. However, like many readers not everything can be included, to which the editors allude in the introduction. This is a field of enquiry with an interesting canon of literature, populated by some engaging theorists, and at times an interesting work felt too short, too abridged. For example, only the barest of Michael Billig's theory of 'banal nationalism' was recounted and much of his interesting analysis of national symbols and his linguistic work on the popular print press were omitted. Also, a lot of the pleasure of reading Benedict Anderson as both an original thinker and charming writer was lost by condensing his work. Anderson's most memorable and important thoughts are there though, particularly his analysis of 'print capitalism' and its contribution, within his theory, to the development of the mass imaginings of national identity. These flaws, though, are the inevitable fate of any work selected to be condensed into a reader. Gellner, Anderson and Billig are immensely readable and engaging writers, and any abridgement of their fuller thesis can seem a disservice. However, Spenser and Wollman have edited the works in such a way as to give the flavour of each theorist, enough of a taster to hopefully inspire the student to tuck into the more comprehensive banquet available.
Nations and Nationalism: A Reader would be a useful addition to any under- or postgraduate bookcase. For those pursuing their first degree this reader gives an excellent impression of the general subject area, including many of the core theorists a student is likely to encounter on their course, in whatever discipline they may be studying. There is also diversity to the reader's contributions which should help the undergraduate to explore the depth of work on the subject. And like any good reader it contains the choicest and most quotable passages, with which to adorn essays and dissertations. For the postgraduate this reader may prove a useful companion, housing many of the main theorists one should be aware of: their thoughts are well edited and condensed for a quick reminder, if the memory is in need of refreshment.