the long twentieth century money power and the origins of our time
the long twentieth century traces the epochal shifts in the relationship between capital accumulation and state formation over a 700 year period . giovanni arrighi masterfully synthesizes social theory comparative history and historical narrative in this account of the structures and agencies which have shaped the course of world history over the millennium . borrowing from braudel arrighi argues that the history of capitalism has unfolded as a succession of long centuries ages during which a hegemonic power deploying a novel combination of economic and political networks secured control over an expanding world economic space . the modest beginnings rise and violent unraveling of the links forged between capital state power and geopolitics by hegemonic classes and states are explored with dramatic intensity . from this perspective arrighi explains the changing fortunes of florentine venetian genoese dutch english and finally american capitalism . the book concludes with an examination of the forces which have shaped and are now poised to undermine americas world power .