First published in 1983, Nations and Nationalism remains one of the most influential explanations of the emergence of nationalism ever written. This updated edition of Ernest Gellner's now-canonical work includes a new introductory essay from John Breuilly, tracing the way the field has evolved over the past two decades, and a bibliography of...

Introduction, by John Breuilly1. DefinitionsState and NationThe Nation2. Culture in Agrarian SocietyPower and Culture in the Agro-literate Polity CultureThe State in Agrarian SocietyThe Varieties of Agrarian Rulers3. Industrial SocietyThe Society of Perpetual GrowthSocial GeneticsThe Age of Universal High Culture4. The Transition to an Age of NationalismA Note on the Weakness of NationalismWild and Garden Cultures5. What is a Nation?The Course of True Nationalism Never did Run Smooth6. Social Entropy and Equality in Industrial SocietyObstacles to EntropyFissures and BarriersA Diversity of Focus7. A Typology of NationalismsThe Varieties of Nationalist ExperienceDiaspora Nationalism8. The Future of NationalismIndustrial Culture - One or Many?9. Nationalism and IdeologyWho is for Nuremberg?One Nation, One State10. ConclusionWhat is not being SaidSummarySelect BibliographyBibliography of Ernest Gellner's Writings on Nationalism, by Ian JamieIndex

A better explanation than anyone has yet offered of why nationalism is such a prominent principle of political legitimacy today. This is a terse and forceful work... the product of great intellectual energy and an impressive range of knowledge.

Breuilly's new introduction provides an excellent critical overview of Gellner's writings on nationalism, judiciously evaluating his ideas while also providing insights into their place and continuing significance within the wider historiography of nationalism studies.