De la Imperiul Akkadian la America vremurilor moderne, Marire si decadere cartografiaza istoria lumii prin zece imperii majore. Prin prisma lor este sondata aspiratia omenirii pentru putere si este urmarita evolutia impulsului imperial de la directa agresiune militara a imperiilor antice la subtila, dar ampla influenta culturala a superputerilor de azi. Imbinand o perspectiva ampla cu o concizie remarcabila, Paul Strathern stabileste conexiuni pe durata a cinci milenii si arunca o lumina revelatoare asupra acestor mari civilizatii - de la Imperiul Mongol si dinastia Yuan pana la azteci si otomani, prezentand inclusiv imperii mai recente: cel Britanic, Ruso-Sovietic si American. Sintetizand 5000 de ani de istorie universala in zece capitole succinte, Marire si decadere ofera o lectura incitanta si instructiva oricarui pasionat de istoria lumii.

Marire si decadere se deschide cu o incursiune in Imperiul Akkadian, care a dominat o mare parte din vechea Mesopotamie, ca apoi sa prezinte vastul Imperiu Roman, in cautarea radacinilor noastre occidentale si rasaritene. In continuare, autorul se indreapta spre Califatele Abbasid si Umayyid, unde s-au dezvoltat multe elemente care si-au adus contributia la cultura clasica occidentala. Mai apoi, pe masura ce iesea dintr-o perioada de stagnare culturala, Europa s-a vazut confruntata cu iuresul unor invazii dinspre rasarit, moment in care facem cunostinta cu imparatii Imperiului Mongol...

Rand pe rand ne sunt prezentate marile imperii cu contradictiile lor. Mai presus de toate, vedem cum ambitia de maretie imperiala - de la imparatii romani la Hitler - este inradacinata in visuri utopice si de nemurire. Fiecare imperiu contine semintele propriei sale distrugeri: prin urmare, ce este de fapt progresul social? Cine beneficiaza de pe urma lui si cine are de suferit? ( )

I liked the basic premiss of this book - in fact my bookcase is filled with "Rise and Fall" books - but I was a bit wary how you would fit 10 empires into barely 250 pages. Indeed, Stathern barely scratches the surface each time he tackles a time period in this book and is generally all over the place in his musings. Nice try, but could have done with a longer preparation and an additional 200 pages. ( )

Yes, there were chapters which were tremendously intriguing. The profoundness of the research and the clarity of the prose in these chapters was engaging as well as informative to say the least.

But for a book which deals with a subject as diverse and dynamic as history, Strathern's inability to stick to the topic at hand makes it more or less a child's read. Take for example his chapter on the Roman empire, it devolves into a reflection on proto-European/non-Roman society. The chapter on the Aztecs meanders off into abstract art with a slight essaying of how the Olmecs might had ended.

Needless to say, I was confounded as to what Strathern was trying to convey. For me, concluding the book was a relief. The only comprehensive chapter might be the conclusive chapter on modern USA.

Is this book readable? Maybe if your mind wanders helter-skelter even while reading. Otherwise, suffice to say that this book should only be utilized for skim reading and not serious research. ( )