Imperialism: A Study

As the nineteenth century progressed more and more of the world was taken and controlled by European nations. At the height of its power the British Empire covered a quarter of the earth and held sway over a fifth of its population. But what were the social and economic implications of imperialism? And was imperialism profitable? J. A. Hobson’s seminal account of 19th century European, published over 100 years ago, goes far to answer these questions and ultimately provides a damning critique of it.