Book excerpt: Globalization is one of the most significant developments of our time. But which elements of contemporary globalization and forms of autonomy are novel and which are merely continuations of long-standing trends? This book brings together a distinguished group of scholars who focus on historical moments that involved the establishment or protection of autonomy, moments that inevitably involved friction. By examining the dialectic between globalization and autonomy at historical junctures ranging from the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1720 to the meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev that led to the end of the Cold War, this volume provides novel insights into the changes overtaking our contemporary world.