Nations and Nationalism since 1780 Hobsbawm, J. E.

Recent events in Eastern Europe and the Soviet republics have since reinforced the central importance of nationalism in the history of political evolution and upheaval. But while most nations consider themselves to be of ancient lineage, generating a strong sense of national identity and pride, few of nations we recognize today date from before the nineteenth century :’getting one’s history wrong’, it has been observed, ‘is part of being a nation’. Asking whether nationalism, despite appearances to the contrary, has passed its peak, Eric Hobsbawm offers a stimulating and controversial analysis, containing a number of surprises, which has led to much lively argument and debate.