Wolfgang Reinhard. A Short History of Colonialism. Translated by Kate Sturge. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 2011. 308 pp., 24 maps. ISBN: 9780719083280 (pbk.). $38.95 (original) (raw)

Wolfgang Reinhard's "A Short History of Colonialism" offers a comparative analysis of European colonial powers and their practices from the fifteenth century onwards, positioning the current U.S. global influence as distinct from traditional European colonialism. The book defines colonialism as the control of one people by another due to a developmental gap, while acknowledging historical atrocities with an objective lens. Although primarily suited for readers with a strong foundational knowledge of world history, the comparative approach and insights provided can stimulate further reflection among scholars and educators.