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Invisible Empires: How the Law of Extraction Shields Modern Conquerors: The Hidden Evolution of Colonial Power Through Corporations, Trade Tribunals,
Paperback
Series: The Salt Empire Chronicles, Book 8
EconomicsGeneral Political ScienceGeneral World History
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Jun 8 2026
Pages: 284
Weight: 0.76
Height: 0.71 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
The British Empire is gone.
Or is it?
The colonial governors departed. The imperial flags came down. New nations emerged across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Yet for many countries, true sovereignty remained elusive.
In Invisible Empires, bestselling historian Arthur Cannon investigates one of the most controversial questions of the modern age:
Did empire truly end, or did it simply evolve?
From the chartered monopolies of the British East India Company to multinational corporations, international arbitration tribunals, debt institutions, and global investment treaties, this gripping narrative uncovers the hidden legal and financial architecture that continues to shape the modern world.
Through dramatic real-world stories spanning Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and North America, readers are taken inside boardrooms, courtrooms, mining concessions, debt negotiations, environmental battles, and billion-dollar arbitration disputes where the future of nations can be decided behind closed doors.
Inside you'll discover:
- The surprising connection between the East India Company and modern multinational corporations
- How colonial extraction evolved into legal and financial systems of influence
- The rise of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) tribunals
- The struggle over cobalt, lithium, rare earth minerals, and the green energy revolution
- The hidden role of offshore tax havens and shell companies
- How international debt and trade agreements can shape national policy
- The battle between corporate power and democratic sovereignty
- Indigenous resistance movements on the front lines of resource extraction
- Why many nations are challenging the existing global investment order
- Competing visions for a more democratic international system
Combining narrative history, investigative journalism, political economy, and global affairs, Invisible Empires serves as the powerful conclusion to The Salt Empire Chronicles.
This is not merely the story of how empires were built.
It is the story of how they survived.
For readers of William Dalrymple, Peter Frankopan, Adam Hochschild, Niall Ferguson, and Jason Hickel.
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