Graeme Gill is Professor Emeritus at the University of Sydney. He taught for many years in the Department of Government at Sydney, principally courses in Soviet and Russian politics. He is the author or editor of 19 books and over 90 articles, and is the immediate past president of the International Council for Central and East European Studies. He is also a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.

'This book will make a fascinating read for any student interested in understanding the history of state building. Gill offers an in-depth and rich historical overview of state formation, and of how states developed capacity and became modern.' - Natasha Ezrow, The University of Essex, UK 'This book constitutes a leading and outstanding introduction to the state. It views state capacity through various prisms - from the deep past to the present, through the East/West context and through to the domestic/international nexus - resulting in a highly comprehensive and very clearly written take on the state that is a must-read for anyone interested in this topic.' - John M. Hobson, University of Sheffield, UK

• 1. The Modern State2. The Origins of State Capacity3. Building Capacity, East and West4. The State, Capitalism, and Industrialization5. States and International Systems6. The State Embedded: Twentieth century alternatives?7. State Capacity and Governance in a Globalized WorldConclusion.