Miller Publishes New Book: Why Nations Rise
On February 12, 2021, Oxford University Press published Why Nations Rise: Narratives and the Path to Great Power, the latest book by Manjari Chatterjee Miller, Associate Professor of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University.
The new book argues that elites in some states actively reframe their image when their economic and military power increases. The book draws from four historical cases (the United States, Meiji Japan, the Netherlands, and Cold War Japan) and applies the lessons from them to two major contemporary cases (China and India). It reshapes our understanding of what a rising power is, and why the ideational sources of their motivation – and not just material sources – are so important.
When asked to comment on the book’s release, Miller said the following:
This book is the culmination of a decade of research, and examines historical rising powers to understand the differences between China and India today. Looking at past rising powers that rose to become great powers, I find that China is following a similar path to great power but India is not. It would have probably taken me another whole decade to finish the book without the help of numerous people who generously shared their thoughts and time: political scientists of course but also historians, government officials, and journalists, across four continents. I’m grateful to all of them.
Purchase a copy of Why Nations Rise online.
Manjari Chatterjee Miller is Associate Professor of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. She works on foreign policy and security issues with a focus on South and East Asia. Learn more about Professor Miller on her Pardee School faculty profile.