"In this broad and brilliant book, Cooper examines a politically burning issue and impressively shows that from the early Roman Empire onward, the solidarity of citizenship has always coexisted with social hierarchy and political oligarchy. All around the world today, citizenship and the idea of belonging to some sort of political collectivity continue to be subjects of debate and struggle."--Andreas Eckert, Humboldt University of Berlin
Frederick Cooper is professor of history at New York University. His many books include Empires in World History and Citizenship between Empire and Nation (both Princeton).