Winner of the 2008 Davis Center Book Prize, American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS) "Given that most secession efforts are linked to conflict, including terrorism... Roeder's study should be valuable for scholars as well as policy-makers. Roeder addresses the crucial question of why some nation-state projects succeed while others fail in spite of the presence of factors ... Read moregenerally regarded as essential for nationalist success: ethnic group identity, grievance against the central regime, mobilization of the people, and international recognition. By examining these factors within the framework of administrative structures... Roeder shows that, in most cases, it is preexisting institutions...that produce the decisive 'alignment' of factors. Without this a nation-state is not likely to be established."
R. P. Peters, University of Massachusetts at Boston, for Choice "Roeder's knowledge of Soviet and Russian politics is impressive and students of nationalism will find this essential reading. Where Nation States Come From is highly recommended for students of nationalism, Eastern European and Central Asian politics and comparative politics and international politics in general."
James G. Mellon, Political Studies Review "This is a terrific book. Roeder launches uncompromising attacks on those who emphasize the role of ideology, norms, and ideas in accounting for the success or failure of nationalist projects. He makes a compelling case for the central importance of state institutional structures and the elites they empower. His analysis is thorough almost to a fault, leading him to explore a wide range of relevant themes... [This is] a formidable piece of scholarship on the relationship between nationalism and state formation in the modern era."
Daniel H. Nexon, International History Review "Where Nation-States Come From sets a high standard for scholarship indeed. With this book, Roeder has hit the proverbial home run."
Hendrik Spruyt, Perspectives on Politics Show Less