The Series

Nationalism is a global phenomenon and this series aims to bring the Western Hemisphere into what has been a mostly Eurocentric discussion. Because the Americas have not suffered the degree of ethno-nationalist conflict as other parts of the world, they remain neglected in a debate that presumes nationalism to always be a problem. We want to approach nationalism not simply as a pernicious force dividing peoples but as a more complex and varied one that is equally capable of integrating diverse populations as dividing them. This is especially important in understanding the nature of post-colonial, multi-ethnic, immigrant nations such as those in the Americas. In a world of mass migration and globalization, the American model of new, multi-ethnic, immigrant nations, instead of being exceptional, may point toward what modern nations are becoming. More than simply filling a gap, by Americanizing the conversation on nationalism we hope to bring some much-needed new perspectives to the discussion.

We project the series will include concise books of approximately 200 printed pages. They will deal with subjects of fundamental importance to our understanding of nationalism, with sound theoretical and historigraphical foundations, but written in clear, accessible prose.

We propose that the series be defined in number and duration: fifteen titles published over a period of ten years.

We plan to identify topics and recruit suitable authors to write some of the series titles, rather than just receive submitted book proposals and manuscripts.

Our authors will typically be established scholars whose knowledge of the field is such that they will be able to adapt their research and synthesize the work of others to write broad interpretive books that do not require years of additional archival research. We believe our plan for comparatively short books will also make it easier to recruit authors.

With some of the books we want to encourage jointly authored cross-cultural studies. Nationalism has become a transnational subject, but most scholars are trained as specialists in one country. Two authors collaborating on a book would bring their specialized knowledge of nations or regions together. This might involve parallel chapters by each author on a common subject or dual-authored chapters that compare two areas. The series would bring together authors who might not otherwise conceive of such a project and surmount obstacles of language and specialization that now confine most scholarship.

Single country studies will be welcome, but only if they deal with broad themes of international significance. We would also invite transnational studies of nationalism that deal with the Americas and Europe, the Atlantic World, or other parts of the world.