Dennis Smith – författare

Few historians have attempted an account of Japan since 1945 yet the country's emergence as the second largest economy in the world has been one of the most dramatic and significant developments since the Second World War. Dennis Smith's work takes a deliberately historical approach in the belief that it is impossible to assess the nature of post-war Japan's achievement without first considering the significance of the pre-war and wartime legacy. It blends politics and economics, aware that in Japan the close links between the worlds of politics, government and of business deny rigid divisions.

With a new introduction by the author, this tense, violent, poignantly written account from the front line of fire-fighting tells the compelling story of a brutalizing - yet supremely rewarding - profession.

This work is an often boisterous and poignant look at growing up Irish, Catholic and poor on the sidewalks of New York. Even as he dodges the slaps of merciless nuns and learns how to wallop a punch-bag, Smith is haunted by the spectre of his mysteriously absent father.

In this exciting new book, Dennis Smith argues that we need to look afresh at globalization. So far, he argues, analysts have not properly explained religious extremism, the War on Terror, and the dynamics of fear, anger and resentment.Against this background, Dennis Smith says that we should understand globalization from an altogether new perspective, one which takes into consideration long-term socio-political development, the dynamics of liberation, and the consequences of humiliation. He claims that if globalization does not change direction, and this hidden agenda is not properly addressed, the costs in terms of freedom and human rights will be devastating. Globalization is stirring up a tide of global resentment held back by fear of American military power. When that power falters, the revenge of the humiliated world will strike the West. Over time, as Americas influence wanes, and the global power balance alters, the crucial struggle will no longer be between the West and terrorism, but within the West. Democracies could find themselves at war with each other. Globalization: The Hidden Agenda gets inside the forces driving globalization, analyses the anger and fear, and finds the levers that must be pulled to avoid catastrophe. Smiths compelling and provocative account of the crises facing the contemporary world will appeal to students and scholars alike, as well as the informed general reader.

In this major new assessment of Zygmunt Bauman's work, Smith gives a clear introduction to this controversial and challenging sociologist.

Offering a fascinating survey of Norbert Elias's life and writings, Dennis Smith traces the growth of his reputation. He is the first author to confront Elias's work with the contrasting theories of Talcott Parsons, Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault and Zygmunt Bauman. He also illustrates how Elias's insights can be applied to understand Western modernity and social and political change. Smith shows why Elias is important for sociology, but he is also clear sighted about the limitations of Elias's approach.

Civilized Rebels compares in depth four very well-known literary and political figures, who all opposed arrogant regimes and became prisoners. Through comparative biographies of Oscar Wilde, Jean Améry, Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi, it explores the long-term process of the retreat of the West from global power since the late nineteenth century, relating this to the decline and fall of the British Empire and the trauma surrounding Brexit. Drawing on rich empirical materials to examine themes of forced displacement, war, poverty, imprisonment and the threat of humiliation, the book reveals how these highly civilized rebels penetrated their opponents’ mind-sets, while also providing a sophisticated analysis of how their struggles fitted into the larger world picture. Methodologically and theoretically innovative, and written in a lively and accessible style, Civilized Rebels will appeal to scholars across a range of disciplines, with interests in globalization, historical international relations, postcolonial and subaltern studies, comparative biographical studies, European studies, the sociology of emotions and historical sociology.

Civilized Rebels compares in depth four very well-known literary and political figures, who all opposed arrogant regimes and became prisoners. Through comparative biographies of Oscar Wilde, Jean Améry, Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi, it explores the long-term process of the retreat of the West from global power since the late nineteenth century, relating this to the decline and fall of the British Empire and the trauma surrounding Brexit. Drawing on rich empirical materials to examine themes of forced displacement, war, poverty, imprisonment and the threat of humiliation, the book reveals how these highly civilized rebels penetrated their opponents’ mind-sets, while also providing a sophisticated analysis of how their struggles fitted into the larger world picture. Methodologically and theoretically innovative, and written in a lively and accessible style, Civilized Rebels will appeal to scholars across a range of disciplines, with interests in globalization, historical international relations, postcolonial and subaltern studies, comparative biographical studies, European studies, the sociology of emotions and historical sociology.

First published in 1990, Capitalist Democracy on Trial explores the long transatlantic debate on capitalist democracy. It examines the conflicting verdicts of writers and politicians in the USA and Europe. The first section focuses on democracy and the rise of big business. It discusses the views of Tocqueville, Mill, Carnegie, Chamberlain, Bryce, Ostrogorski, Veblen and Hobson. The second section covers capitalism and the rise of ‘big government’. The writers represented are Laski, Lasswell, Hayek, Schumpeter, Galbraith, Friedman, Miliband, Brittan, Piven, and Cloward. Using a historical and comparative framework Dennis Smith argues that the transatlantic debate on capitalist democracy has passed through three phases. By World War I the early nineteenth century ideology of ‘participation’ had been replaced by a conception of capitalist democracy as ‘manipulation’. Between the wars this was superseded by an ideology of ‘regulation’. Then the drift has been towards the need for ‘conservation’. His systematic approach demonstrate the dynamics of an unfolding debate and combines theoretical insight with clarity of exposition. This book will be an invaluable text for students of political science, sociology, social theory, and the history of political economy.

First published in 1990, Capitalist Democracy on Trial explores the long transatlantic debate on capitalist democracy. It examines the conflicting verdicts of writers and politicians in the USA and Europe. The first section focuses on democracy and the rise of big business. It discusses the views of Tocqueville, Mill, Carnegie, Chamberlain, Bryce, Ostrogorski, Veblen and Hobson. The second section covers capitalism and the rise of ‘big government’. The writers represented are Laski, Lasswell, Hayek, Schumpeter, Galbraith, Friedman, Miliband, Brittan, Piven, and Cloward. Using a historical and comparative framework Dennis Smith argues that the transatlantic debate on capitalist democracy has passed through three phases. By World War I the early nineteenth century ideology of ‘participation’ had been replaced by a conception of capitalist democracy as ‘manipulation’. Between the wars this was superseded by an ideology of ‘regulation’. Then the drift has been towards the need for ‘conservation’. His systematic approach demonstrate the dynamics of an unfolding debate and combines theoretical insight with clarity of exposition. This book will be an invaluable text for students of political science, sociology, social theory, and the history of political economy.

This title was first published in 1983.

This title was first published in 1983.

First published in 1982, this study explores the dynamics of class formation during the vital decades between 1830 and 1914, when a rising urban industrial order was developing in complex interdependence with a declining rural agrarian order. The book follows the divergent paths of two cities - Birmingham and Sheffield – in their social development. These paths reflect the complex process of conflict and compromise as the ‘old’ order was gradually replaced by the ‘new’. It studies in detail many aspects of social life that were affected by these changes such as education, public administration, political structures, public administration, religion, the professions, popular culture and family. This book will be of interest to those studying Victorian history and sociology.

First published in 1982, this study explores the dynamics of class formation during the vital decades between 1830 and 1914, when a rising urban industrial order was developing in complex interdependence with a declining rural agrarian order. The book follows the divergent paths of two cities - Birmingham and Sheffield – in their social development. These paths reflect the complex process of conflict and compromise as the ‘old’ order was gradually replaced by the ‘new’. It studies in detail many aspects of social life that were affected by these changes such as education, public administration, political structures, public administration, religion, the professions, popular culture and family. This book will be of interest to those studying Victorian history and sociology.

Offering a fascinating survey of Norbert Elias's life and writings, Dennis Smith traces the growth of his reputation. He is the first author to confront Elias's work with the contrasting theories of Talcott Parsons, Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault and Zygmunt Bauman. He also illustrates how Elias's insights can be applied to understand Western modernity and social and political change. Smith shows why Elias is important for sociology, but he is also clear sighted about the limitations of Elias's approach.

Offering a fascinating survey of Norbert Elias's life and writings, Dennis Smith traces the growth of his reputation. He is the first author to confront Elias's work with the contrasting theories of Talcott Parsons, Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault and Zygmunt Bauman. He also illustrates how Elias's insights can be applied to understand Western modernity and social and political change. Smith shows why Elias is important for sociology, but he is also clear sighted about the limitations of Elias's approach.