Thousands of prices just dropped across Thryft
Our price drop is now live! Find lowered prices on thousands of one-of-a-kind finds across Thryft
Free delivery on all orders above RM80 to Malaysia
Get 10% off all year round! Join Thryft Club

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Check out these collections!

Bestselling Fiction
Bestselling Nonfiction
Bestselling Books for Children
Vintage and Rare Books
Vinyl Records
Women's Clothing
Men's Clothing

Find more of what you love

Get thoughtful picks from Thryft’s ever-changing collection of pre-loved books, vinyl and CDs—plus occasional sales and events.

By signing up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Thryft. You can unsubscribe at any time.

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

by Paul M. Kennedy
The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers
The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

History’s grand warning against imperial overreach

A compelling read if you enjoy sweeping geopolitical history. Kennedy reveals how military ambition can outpace economic strength. Its central lesson remains strikingly relevant to today’s powers.

  • Wolfson History Prize (1989)
  • Premio Acqui Storia (1990)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

by Paul M. Kennedy
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

Find out more about our process here.

ISBN: 9780006860525
Author: Paul M. Kennedy
Publisher: HarperCollins s
Date of Publication: 2017-08-01
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: History, Politics, Economics
Related Topics: Political Science, World History, Politics, Government, European History, History, War, Finance
Goodreads rating: 4.14
(rated by 6629 readers)

Description

This study describes how the past 500 years show that nations which became great powers had to decline as their growth rate slowed and their spending on defence continued to increase, and explains how this can be eased or worsened by clever or short-sighted policy decisions. The final chapter looks at the current dilemma of the USA, the USSR, the EEC, Japan and China, and peers. Paul Kennedy also wrote "Strategy and Diplomacy, 1870-1945" and "The Realities Behind Diplomacy, 1865-1980".
 

History’s grand warning against imperial overreach

A compelling read if you enjoy sweeping geopolitical history. Kennedy reveals how military ambition can outpace economic strength. Its central lesson remains strikingly relevant to today’s powers.

  • Wolfson History Prize (1989)
  • Premio Acqui Storia (1990)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Economics Books

Shop all
How to Hook a Whale: Secrets of Selling to the Ultra High Net Worth
Marcus Lim | Marshall Cavendish Business

How to Hook a Whale: Secrets of Selling to the Ultra High Net Worth

In one line

Insider playbook for winning over billionaires

Goodreads 4.13

Condition: Well Read

RM37.00 MYR RM26.00 MYR 30% off

The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): Implications for ASEAN-EU Relations
Melinda Martinus | Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute

The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): Implications for ASEAN-EU Relations

In one line

Essential insight into carbon tariffs reshaping ASEAN-EU trade

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Like New

RM52.00 MYR

Dot.con: The Greatest Story Ever Sold
John Cassidy | Harper

Dot.con: The Greatest Story Ever Sold

In one line

Internet gold rush becomes speculative bubble.

Goodreads 3.91

Condition: Very Good

RM205.00 MYR RM108.00 MYR 47% off

Why It's Still Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolutions
Paul Mason | Verso Books

Why It's Still Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolutions

In one line

Insightful analysis of contemporary global revolutions.

Goodreads 3.91

Condition: Like New

RM48.00 MYR RM34.00 MYR 29% off

58% off est. retail
The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives
Jesse Eisinger | Simon & Schuster

The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives

In one line

Sharp expose of white-collar justice gone soft

Goodreads 3.79

Condition: Good

RM41.00 MYR

Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business and What to Do About It
Jason Dorsey, Denise Villa | Harper Business

Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business and What to Do About It

In one line

Deciphering Gen Z's impact on future business.

Goodreads 3.61

Condition: Like New

RM71.00 MYR RM48.00 MYR 32% off

60% off est. retail
Accelerate: Building Strategic Agility for a Faster Moving World
John P. Kotter | Harvard Business Review Press

Accelerate: Building Strategic Agility for a Faster Moving World

In one line

Principles for agility in a fast-changing world.

Goodreads 3.55

Condition: Well Read

RM52.00 MYR RM26.00 MYR 50% off

76% off est. retail
Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle
Dan Senor | Little, Brown & Company

Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle

In one line

How adversity and informality ignite relentless innovation

Goodreads 4.11

Condition: Good

RM41.00 MYR

Renewable Energy: Malaysia’s Climate Change Solution or Placebo?
Serina Rahman | Iseas Publishing

Renewable Energy: Malaysia’s Climate Change Solution or Placebo?

In one line

A clear-eyed audit of Malaysia’s renewable ambitions

Goodreads 5.0

Condition: Like New

RM52.00 MYR

The World We Made: Alex McKay's Story from 2050
Jonathon Porritt | Phaidon Press

The World We Made: Alex McKay's Story from 2050

In one line

Optimistic blueprint for a sustainable 2050 future.

Goodreads 3.81

Condition: Well Read

RM34.00 MYR RM22.00 MYR 35% off

History Books

Shop all
The Soul of a New Machine
Tracy Kidder | Little, Brown Paperbacks

The Soul of a New Machine

In one line

Inside the birth of obsessive tech culture

Goodreads 4.12

Condition: Well Read

RM37.00 MYR

Innovation - The History of England
Peter Ackroyd | Pan Macmillan

Innovation - The History of England

In one line

England's transformation through Ackroyd's engaging narrative.

Goodreads 3.96

Condition: Very Good

RM45.00 MYR RM19.00 MYR 58% off

73% off est. retail
Lincoln and the Triumph of the Nation: Constitutional Conflict in the American Civil War
Mark E. Neely Jr. | University Of North Carolina Press

Lincoln and the Triumph of the Nation: Constitutional Conflict in the American Civil War

In one line

Civil War history through a constitutional lens

Goodreads 3.73

Condition: Like New

RM52.00 MYR

75% off est. retail
Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Friendship and the Feuds
Robert Lacey | William Collins

Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Friendship and the Feuds

In one line

Royal rifts disclosed; brothers' poignant evolutionary tale.

Goodreads 3.43

Condition: Like New

RM48.00 MYR RM30.00 MYR 38% off

Once Upon a Car: The Fall and Resurrection of America's Big Three Auto Makers—GM, Ford, and Chrysler
Bill Vlasic | William Morrow

Once Upon a Car: The Fall and Resurrection of America's Big Three Auto Makers—GM, Ford, and Chrysler

In one line

Detroit's auto industry drama: collapse and revival.

Goodreads 4.19

Condition: Very Good

RM74.00 MYR RM41.00 MYR 45% off

Joseph Anton: A Memoir
Salman Rushdie | Random House

Joseph Anton: A Memoir

In one line

Courage under siege, art against silencing

Goodreads 3.65

Condition: Good

RM41.00 MYR

People/States/Territories: The Political Geographies of British State Transformation
Rhys Jones | Wiley-blackwell

People/States/Territories: The Political Geographies of British State Transformation

In one line

Dissecting statecraft: British power dynamics unraveled.

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Like New

RM45.00 MYR RM22.00 MYR 51% off

Where Are We Heading? The Evolution of Humans and Things: Foundational Questions in Science
Ian Hodder | Yale University Press

Where Are We Heading? The Evolution of Humans and Things: Foundational Questions in Science

In one line

Human evolution through mutual dependency with objects.

Goodreads 3.5

Condition: Very Good

RM67.00 MYR RM63.00 MYR 6% off

68% off est. retail
Reflections of a Siamese Twin: Canada at the End of the Twentieth Century
John Ralston Saul | Penguin Canada

Reflections of a Siamese Twin: Canada at the End of the Twentieth Century

In one line

Sharp rethink of Canada's fractured identity

Goodreads 3.73

Condition: Very Good

RM45.00 MYR RM34.00 MYR 24% off

The Works of Anne Bradstreet
Jeannine Hensley, Adrienne Rich, Anne Bradstreet | Belknap Press

The Works of Anne Bradstreet

In one line

Seventeenth-century feminism through poetry and prose.

Goodreads 3.69

Condition: Very Good

RM138.00 MYR RM74.00 MYR 46% off

You might enjoy this if…

View book details