Bücher von David Lockwood

For nations, size matters.The United States can afford aircraft carriers; Costa Rica cannot. The more populous a nation, the lower the cost per taxpayer of highways, schools, and public safety. The more domestic consumers, the larger the scale of markets unfettered by trade barriers. The larger a nation's economy, the greater the diversity of jobs available to workers.But greater size comes at a cost: the more people, the more potential for conflict. This trade-off between the benefits of size and the potential for conflict often determines whether a nation succeeds-or fails.Since WWII, most nations in which the advantages of size were outweighed by the disadvantages of internal strife have split apart. As a result, the number of nations in the world has exploded from 74 in 1945 to 196 in 2022. But some large countries today remain "too big."Nations that fail to rightsize will suffer from increasing social turmoil and political violence in the years ahead. These countries risk civil war or the rise of authoritarian leaders from both the far-right and far-left who promise to bind a nation together by force.Praise for Rightsizing Nations"Provocative . . . and absorbing."BookLife Reviews, Publishers Weekly "Engaging and timely . . . "-Foreword Clarion Reviews"Well-written and intriguing . . . breaks down a complex analysis into accessible prose."-Kirkus Reviews"Fascinating and scary . . . "-Readers' Favorite

December 1942: Calcutta is bombed by the Japanese air force. In the ensuing panic, one and a half million flee the almost defenseless city. The Japanese appear unstoppable and on their way to India. How did the political actors of the time react to the prospect of a Japanese invasion? The Congress regarded Britains presence in India as a provocation to the Japanese. They wanted it removed and were prepared to face the Japanese alone. The British, while maintaining a brave front, were not confident of their ability to hold India against the Japanese. The INA urged the Japanese to invade as long as they were in the front ranks and were permitted to rule India afterwards. David Lockwood investigates the reactions and plans of the Congress, the British and the Indian National Army (INA), concluding that the Japanese invasion revealed a good deal about the plans for India after the war, and that it was a part of the transition of the Indian State from the British to the Congress. Calcutta Under Fire offers a rare insight into a crucial period of contemporary Indian history.