<p>This work was the first modern attempt to prove that race is the primary force determining world events and history.</p>

<p>Working with the limited scientific data available at the time of writing (1853), Arthur de Gobineau divided humans into three major groupings, white, yellow and black.</p>

<p>He argues that the cause of the downfall of civilizations is always racial mixing, and that every civilization has either been directly controlled by what he called &ldquo;Aryans&rdquo; or has had a significant Aryan element mixed in it.</p>

<p>He also argues that climate and environment have no bearing on racial characteristics.</p>

<p>This book was a cornerstone work for 20th century racial theory, and is of immense importance for this reason alone.</p>

<p>This new edition has been completely reset and contains all the original text.</p>