Political theory professor Stuart Elden explores the history of land ownership and control from the ancient to the modern world in The Birth of Territory. Territory is one of the central political concepts of the modern world and, indeed, functions as the primary way the world is divided and controlled politically. Yet territory has not received the critical attention afforded to other crucial concepts such as sovereignty, rights, and justice. While territory continues to matter politically, and territorial disputes and arrangements are studied in detail, the concept of territory itself is often neglected today. Where did the idea of exclusive ownership of a portion of the earth’s surface come from, and what kinds of complexities are hidden behind that seemingly straightforward definition? The Birth of Territory provides a detailed account of the emergence of territory within Western political thought. Looking at ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and early modern thought, Stuart Elden examines the evolution of the concept of territory from ancient Greece to the seventeenth century to determine how we arrived at our contemporary understanding. Elden addresses a range of historical, political, and literary texts and practices, as well as a number of key players—historians, poets, philosophers, theologians, and secular political theorists—and in doing so sheds new light on the way the world came to be ordered and how the earth’s surface is divided, controlled, and administered. “The Birth of Territory is an outstanding scholarly achievement . . . a book that already promises to become a ‘classic’ in geography, together with very few others published in the past decades.” —Political Geography “An impressive feat of erudition.” —American Historical Review

Midwives and other healthcare providers are grappling with the issue of rising intervention rates in childbirth and trying to identify ways to reverse the trend. It is increasingly accepted that intervention in childbirth has long-term consequences for women and their children. Birth Territory provides practical, evidence-based ideas for restructuring the birth territory to facilitate normal birth. Links new research findings to birth environments and outcomes. Describes the elements of an ideal birthing environment. Suggests how to modify existing maternity services to achieve optimal results. Investigates the links between the experiences of women and babies, and outcomes. Explores the effects of legal and socio-political factors.

Winner Trinity Schools Book Award 2018 Winner Gateshead YA Book Prize 'I love reading Sarah Govett - she's whip-smart, funny and by plugging into the hope and energy of the youth makes me feel better about these dark times.' Dame Emma Thompson Noa Blake is just another normal 15 year old with exams looming. Except in The Territory normal isn't normal. The richest children have a node on the back of their necks and can download information, bypassing the need to study. In a flooded world of dwindling resources, Noa and the other 'Norms' have their work cut out even to compete. And competing is everything - because anybody who fails the exams will be shipped off to the Wetlands, which means a life of misery, if not certain death. But how to focus when your heart is being torn in two directions at once? 'Truly heart wrenching! ... the 1984 of our time' The Guardian online 'Gripping dystopia with a keen political edge' Imogen Russell Williams, Metro 'This is a truly exceptional novel, exciting, gripping and intense' BookTrust 'pacy dystopian fantasy thriller' Telegraph's Best YA Books of 2015 'thrilling and thought-provoking' The Times 'powerful and shocking' Children's Books Ireland 'a terrific book. It simply is.' Bookwitch 'brilliant' Teen Librarian 'Brilliantly plotted, utterly gripping' Gemma Malley (The Declaration) One of The Telegraph's best YA books of 2015

Provides a focus on the planet’s elements, environments, and edges, to extend our understanding of territory to the dynamic, contentious spaces of contemporary politics.

Originally published in hardcover in 2016 by Simon & Schuster.

Today's global politics demands a new look at the concept of territory. From so-called deterritorialized terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda to U.S.-led overthrows of existing regimes in the Middle East, the relationship between territory and sovereignty is under siege. Unfolding an updated understanding of the concept of territory, Stuart Elden shows how the contemporary "war on terror" is part of a widespread challenge to the connection between the state and its territory. Although the importance of territory has been disputed under globalization, territorial relations have not come to an abrupt end. Rather, Elden argues, the territory/sovereignty relation is being reconfigured. Traditional geopolitical analysis is transformed into a critical device for interrogating hegemonic geopolitics after the Cold War, and is employed in the service of reconsidering discourses of danger that include "failed states," disconnection, and terrorist networks. Looking anew at the "war on terror"; the development and application of U.S. policy; the construction and demonization of rogue states; events in Lebanon, Somalia, and Pakistan; and the wars continuing in Afghanistan and Iraq, Terror and Territory demonstrates how a critical geographical analysis, informed by political theory and history, can offer an urgently needed perspective on world events.

Foreword - Introduction - 11 January 1978 - 18 January 1978 - 25 January 1978 - 1 February 1978 - 8 February 1978 - 15 February 1978 - 22 February 1978 - 1 March 1978 - 8 March 1978 - 15 March 1978 - 22 March 1978 - 29 March 1978 - 5 April 1978 - Course Summary - Course Context - Index of Notions - Index of Names.