Does anyone know of a book around the origins of politics?

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I'm just after a good book that is thoroughly researched on the history of politics. Has anyone read a good one or know of one please? Thanks.

Do you mean UK politics?

No, from the very beginning. I've had a search but it all seems country specific.

Well I guess you could start with Plato ... or Hobbes, Leviathan ? Or Karl Marx, Das Kapital.

What I mean is, there is n one book.

It depends what you mean. Do you mean political structures? The word comes from the Greek polis which means city. So you could start with Aristotle.
Or do you mean how humans organise themselves and how power is shared or reserved in that? Eg this article:

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635717303698

talks about the development of hierarchies in early homonids.

I’ve always found the ‘A Very Short Introduction’ series good so I’d probably start there. global.oup.com/academic/product/politics-a-very-short-introduction-9780192853882?cc=us&lang=en&

I agree with other posters, start with a book on Greek politics - Aristotle etc. That was the birth place of politics. And is fascinating!

(Disclaimer: I studied ancient history at uni and spent a lot of time studying Ancient Greek Politics). I personally think Sparta's system was the best/most balanced.

Wouldn't something on (what used to be called) Anthropology be useful? Human beings were 'doing' politics long before they started thinking and talking about it.

Also maybe something on how chimpanzees organise their societies.

(Sorry, Fingerbobs, I skimmed over your post without taking it in properly!)

Thank you very much for your suggestions. I suppose I was after a series of books from Greece going forward? I didn't really know to be honest but I'm a bit clearer now.

I just enjoy politics and wanted to start reading from the beginning. Looks like I'm in for the long haul then. Thanks again, I appreciate your help.

Stay safe everyone.

See @Fingerbobs, I wasn't thinking of before, but then you made me read that link.....😂

If you want to stat at ancient Greece, the obvious one would be Plato, The Republic.

This is where I started on my politics degree:

www.amazon.com/Political-Philosophy-Short-Introduction-Introductions-ebook/dp/B000SFJ11G/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=political+philosophy&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1586112334&sr=8-9

You can figure out where you want to go from there.

Also free ou module:

www.open.edu/openlearn/society-politics-law/what-politics/content-section-0?active-tab=content-tab

Oh thanks, that's great @killer I'll look at that. Thanks Cad.

Start with Peracles' funeral oration! And let us know how you get on, fascinating project.

Thanks @ Pauline, I will. Politics is so fascinating isn't it!

This all really depends on how you define politics!

I had the Penguin Dictionary of Politics when I was doing my A levels which was really good - short entries (really mini-essays) on a wide range of aspects of politics & politica thought. This looks like a modern equivalent - would work well to have as a bedside book or similar & read one or two articles at a time.

The Origins of Political Order by Fukuyama, or A Political History of the World by Holslag are both interesting and quite recent.

But really I'd probably go back to the foundational texts themselves e.g. The Republic by Plato, Leviathan by Hobbes, Two Treatises of Government by Locke, The Social Contract by Rousseau etc.

OP if you're truly interested you might want to question the evident bias towards western political texts!

Politics is the performance; power is the text. Perhaps something like Michael Mann’s “The Sources of Social Power”?

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate your suggestions.