About the book
Real and imagined versions of the island and the microbe come together to tell a new story about geopolitical relations between two successive Anglophone empires: the British and the American. Bassam Sidiki assembles a vast archive of literary, cultural, and medical documents to argue that claims of British or American insularity are specious; these Anglophone empires have been economically, culturally, and scientifically interdependent since the turn of the century to the present as the British century gave way to the American. Ironically, the inter-imperial relations that refute imperial insularity are often most visible in island-like spaces such as gardens, ships, and brothels, and in actual tropical islands where the two imperial powers have worked together—or at odds—to hold infectious diseases at bay.
Sidiki documents historical and imaginary representations of infectious diseases such as the plague, venereal disease, Spanish flu, and Hansen’s disease in the long twentieth century, and how these diseases brought the British and US empires into simultaneous collaboration and competition across the Anglophone world.
Editions of Parasitic Empires
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469697246
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469697253
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469684307
- PDF
- ISBN 9781469697260
Read an Excerpt
Real and imagined versions of the island and the microbe come together to tell a new story about geopolitical relations between two successive Anglophone empires: the British and the American. Bassam Sidiki assembles a vast archive of literary, cultural, and medical documents to argue that claims of British or American insularity are specious; these Anglophone empires have been economically, culturally, and scientifically interdependent since the turn of the century to the present as the British century gave way to the American. Ironically, the inter-imperial relations that refute imperial insularity are often most visible in island-like spaces such as gardens, ships, and brothels, and in actual tropical islands where the two imperial powers have worked together—or at odds—to hold infectious diseases at bay.
Sidiki documents historical and imaginary representations of infectious diseases such as the plague, venereal disease, Spanish flu, and Hansen’s disease in the long twentieth century, and how these diseases brought the British and US empires into simultaneous collaboration and competition across the Anglophone world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Parasitic Empires about?
Real and imagined versions of the island and the microbe come together to tell a new story about geopolitical relations between two successive Anglophone empires: the British and the American. Bassam Sidiki assembles a vast archive of literary, cultural, and medical documents to argue that claims of British or American insularity are specious; these Anglophone empires have been economically, culturally, and scientifically interdependent since the turn of the century to the present as the British century gave way to the American. Ironically, the inter-imperial relations that refute imperial insularity are often most visible in island-like spaces such as gardens, ships, and brothels, and in actual tropical islands where the two imperial powers have worked together—or at odds—to hold infectious diseases at bay.
Sidiki documents historical and imaginary representations of infectious diseases such as the plague, venereal disease, Spanish flu, and Hansen’s disease in the long twentieth century, and how these diseases brought the British and US empires into simultaneous collaboration and competition across the Anglophone world.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Parasitic Empires?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Literature: history and criticism
Where can I read a sample of Parasitic Empires?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469697246
How long is Parasitic Empires and how many pages does it have?
Parasitic Empires has 254 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Parasitic Empires?
Bassam Sidiki
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Parasitic Empires is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469697246) and paperback(ISBN 9781469697253) and ebook(ISBN 9781469684307) and pdf(ISBN 9781469697260)
Where can I buy Parasitic Empires online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Parasitic Empires?