The brilliant  political scientist and historian of Japan, China, and American empire died yesterday at his home near San Diego at the age of 79. His anti-imperial trilogy--Blowback, Sorrows of Empire, and Nemesis--is important, but represents only a small part of his scholarly work. His last book, published in August, was Dismantling the Empire: America's Last Best Hope. Indeed. (Thanks to C.J. Watson)