The War of Words

“James delves into the often-surprising intellectual origins of key concepts in the arguments about globalisation—and illuminates the debate in the process.”—Gideon Rachman, Financial Times, “Best Books of 2021: Politics”

“Masterful. . . . James cuts through the tangled terminological and conceptual jungle of modern globalist discourse . . . [with] fascinating discussions of the origins and meanings of the words.”—G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs

“Words have histories, and James constructs his analytical glossary through sharply incisive minihistories. . . . The richness of James’s book consists in its elucidation of the ironies bound up in the history of terms as they apply to changing circumstances.”—Jay Tolson, Hedgehog Review

“Political debate was once regarded as a noble competition among ideas, but, as Harold James shows in this wonderful book, it has become a brutal clash of ‘isms’ with a profusion of different interpretations. It is hard to disagree with his conclusion that political language needs major intellectual decluttering.”—Diane Coyle, University of Cambridge

“Harold James never ceases to demonstrate the power of applying history to contemporary problems. I warmly recommend The War of Words to anyone who wants to clarify in their own mind what we mean by terms such as capitalism, socialism, populism and globalization. This is a master class in the history of economic ideas.”—Niall Ferguson, author of Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe

“Words have histories, and The War of Words is essential reading for anyone tempted to say anything about technocracy, or Weltpolitik, or globalization, or neoliberalism. It is provoking and enlightening, and tells the history of modern times.”—Emma Rothschild, author of An Infinite History: The Story of a Family in France over Three Centuries

“Globalization calls for understanding! Communication across cultural boundaries can only be successful if we develop a shared understanding of key terms. Harold James provides a global history of terms—thus making a vital contribution to intellectual self-reflection.”—Wolfgang Schäuble, president of the German Parliament