Wonky Tonk grapples with empires

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — The Wonky Tonk bookgroup, a discussion group for non-fiction political and history books, will meet on Friday, February 29 at 6:30 p.m. in Hamish & Henry Booksellers. The topic for the meeting will be “After Tamerlane: The Global History of Empire Since 1405,” by John Darwin. The book can be purchased at the store for $20.

The death of the Tatar emperor Tamerlane in 1405, according to Darwin, was a turning point in world history. After Tamerlane, a series of huge, stable empires were founded and consolidated—Chinese, Mughal, Persian, and Ottoman—realms that outclassed the fragmentary, quarrelsome nations of Europe. But the 19th century saw these empires fall vulnerable to European conquest, creating an age of anarchy and exploitation. In the 21st century, history has turned again, with new Chinese and Indian super-states and successful independent states in Turkey and Iran.

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