The Great Illusion

Angell, Norman, 1874-1967Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.2

Word count: 682K words
Chapters: 69

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Great Illusion by Norman AngellAuthor: Angell, Norman, 1874-1967,Language: English, Class: JX: Political science: International law, Release Date: Jan 9, 2012

Editor's review

This book is Norman Angell's representative work setting out his thinking on international relations, a classic text at the intersection of international law and political economy. Its central argument is that war is economically unprofitable, which challenged the prevailing belief that military expansion could secure national interests and makes it an important reference for understanding early twentieth-century European pacifism and debates over international order. Angell's analysis rests on the logic of trade interdependence and capital flows; the prose is argumentative and expository, concept-dense, and suited to readers who need direct access to primary sources in the history of international relations thought. Read it in the historical context of the First World War and its aftermath, attend to the premises and limits of the author's argument, and do not accept the book's judgments as empirical conclusions. As a public-domain ebook, this edition is easy to search and collate against the original text, making it suitable for classroom discussion, citation in papers, or thematic reading groups.

Who it's for

A good fit for

International relations and political science students reading for courses in intellectual history
History readers interested in pacifism and the economic analysis of war
Researchers and paper writers who need to cite the public-domain English original
Leaders and members of reading groups on classic texts in international relations

Not a good fit for

Beginner readers hoping for accessible commentary on current international affairs
Readers who prefer narrative history writing to argumentative analysis
Readers who need contemporary empirical data and up-to-date case studies

Reading tips

Read the introduction or the opening and closing chapters first to grasp the author's core thesis and argumentative structure, then return to the central argument in detail.
Note the author's key judgments about trade dependence and economic interest as you read, and assess his predictions against the historical facts of the First World War.
Read alongside a textbook on the history of international relations thought, situating the book within early twentieth-century pacifist debate.
If citing the book in writing, check the original page numbers and edition information first, and avoid quoting second-hand summaries.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is this book mainly about?

The book argues about the relationship between war and economic interest, chiefly to show that under modern conditions of interdependent trade and capital, war is unlikely to bring economic gain to any of the belligerents. The author uses this to challenge the prevailing belief that military expansion serves national interest; it is a polemical work in the history of international relations thought.

What language proficiency does reading this book require?

This is a public-domain English ebook with dense argumentation and many abstract concepts, so it requires solid English reading ability, especially vocabulary related to political economy and international law. If English reading is difficult, consult relevant Chinese scholarship first for background, then read against the original text.

Is this book suitable for use as contemporary conclusions about international relations?

It should not be taken directly as contemporary conclusions. The book was written in a specific historical context, and both its premises and its empirical material are limited by their time. It is better used as a document in intellectual history, to understand the intellectual debates of the period and to test its judgments against subsequent history, rather than applied directly to today's international problems.

How should I plan my reading progress?

Read it in three passes: first read through to grasp the overall thesis and chapter structure; second, read the core arguments closely, taking notes on premises and inferences; third, conduct a critical review in light of historical background and secondary scholarship. Keep each reading session to a digestible range of chapters so that the density of argument does not cause you to stop.

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About the author

Angell, Norman, 1874-1967 Author · British · 1874–1967

Norman Angell (1874–1967) was a British journalist and pacifist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1933. He worked for many years as a journalist and devoted sustained attention to international relations and the causes of war, and his ideas had a wide influence on the peace movements of the early twentieth century. His best-known work, The Great Illusion, argues from economic interdependence that war brings no real advantage to either side, contending that trade and financial ties between modern states make conquest unprofitable; the book was translated into many languages and provoked lasting debate. Peace Theories and the Balkan War examines and responds to criticisms of his peace theories in light of the specific conflicts in the Balkans. Angell combined writing with public activity throughout his life, insisting that rational analysis could dispel the illusions surrounding war. His views were controversial, yet they remain an important reference for later international relations scholarship and pacifist thought. Public sources are limited, so further biographical details are not elaborated here.