Anatomies of Revolution

George Lawson, Australian National University

Recent years have seen renewed interest in the study of revolution. Spurred by events like the 2011 uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, the rise of Islamic State, and the emergence of populism, a new age of revolution has generated considerable interest. Yet, even as empirical studies of revolutions are thriving, there has been a stall in theories of revolution. Anatomies of Revolution (Cambridge University Press, 2019) offers a novel account of how revolutions begin, unfold and end. By combining insights from International Relations, Sociology, and Global History, it outlines the benefits of a ‘global historical sociology’ of revolutionary change, one in which international processes take centre stage. Featuring a wide range of cases from across modern world history, this is a comprehensive account of one of the world’s most important processes.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 77. Author Meets Critic: Anatomies of Revolution by George Lawson