Nationalism

What are nations precisely? And why does the idea of belonging to a nation hold such importance for peoples? Understanding the idea of nationalism is crucial to understanding many social conflicts and political disputes that dominate today's news headlines. In this distinguished book from the "Very Short Introduction" series, the author uses examples from different stages of history, starting from ancient Israel to the Balkans today, to discuss how nations are born from various factors such as kinship, territory, shared history, and religion. Through highlighting the social, philosophical, and anthropological perspectives of the issue, the author questions why nations exist, when they first appeared, and what this tendency toward division can reveal about our human nature.