European Seaborne Empires

Gabriel Paquette is dean of the Robert D. Clark Honors College and professor of history at the University of Oregon. He is author of Imperial Portugal in the Age of Atlantic Revolutions: The Luso‑Brazilian World, c. 1770–1850 and Enlightenment, Governance, and Reform in Spain and Its Empire, 1759–1808.

"For anyone keen to learn about the rise and development of Europe's overseas empires, this is the place to begin. Paquette has mastered a vast body of information to produce a splendid survey."—J. H. Elliott, author of Empires of the Atlantic World“This book builds on an incredible grasp of comparative historiography and brings previously disparate literatures into conversation with one another. It is a sparkling piece of scholarship.”—Matthew Brown, University of Bristol"Paquette masterfully explores the interconnected histories of five European seaborne empires. His book is an in-depth and comprehensive piece of transnational history, and a fundamental contribution to the comparative history of empires."—Pedro Cardim, Universidade Nova de Lisboa"Beautifully written and thoughtfully argued by a leading historian, this text rethinks the history of the seaborne empires in fruitful and innovative ways. Paquette skillfully brings non-European actors to the fore and demonstrates the limitations of European ambition even as he illuminates its growing power."—Philippa Levine, University of Texas at Austin"In a blend of lucid narrative and nuanced analysis, Paquette provides a superb synthesis of early modern imperialism. Sweeping across a vast geographical and cultural range, he demonstrates the vital contribution of Europe’s seaborne empires to global capitalism, and its consequences for peoples and environments across the world. A brilliant new starting point, highly recommended."—Anthony McFarlane, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Warwick