Space and Power

Paul Hirst was one was one of the most original thinkers of his generation. This book is being published post-humously after his tragic death in 2003. Written with verve and lucidity, it is a scholarly account of the various ways in which space is configured by power, and in which space becomes a resource for power. Erudite and exciting, the book combines new and old theory in an imaginative, yet pragmatic, way. It is typical of Hirst’s ability to make inspiriational leaps across theoretical and disciplinary boundaries, critically combining insights from social theory, politics, history and geography. This is an important, forward-looking book that will influence academic debate for many years to come.

List of Illustrations. Preface by Grahame Thompson. Acknowledgements. Part I. 1. Space and Power: Architecture, Politics and War. 2. Cities, Globalization and Governance. 3. Politics and Territory. Part II. 4. The Spatial Dimensions of Power. 5. The Frontier, Conquest and Settlement. 6. War, Environment and Technology. 7. Information, Space and War. Part III. 8. Foucault and Architecture. 9. The Defence of Places: Fortification as Architecture. 10. The Defence of Places: From Sieges to Silos. Notes. Index.