Intros to understanding imperialism

[MundoRojo]

A friend of mine is interested ("weird" I know) in the Marxist theory of imperialism. Any well-argued recommendations, both basic and advanced, outlines, etc?

[John Nada]

(1) the concentration of production and capital has developed to such a high stage that it has created monopolies which play a decisive role in economic life; (2) the merging of bank capital with industrial capital, and the creation, on the basis of this “finance capital”, of a financial oligarchy; (3) the export of capital as distinguished from the export of commodities acquires exceptional importance; (4) the formation of international monopolist capitalist associations which share the world among themselves, and (5) the territorial division of the whole world among the biggest capitalist powers is completed. Imperialism is capitalism at that stage of development at which the dominance of monopolies and finance capital is established; in which the export of capital has acquired pronounced importance; in which the division of the world among the international trusts has begun, in which the division of all territories of the globe among the biggest capitalist powers has been completed.Source: https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch07.htm Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/index.htm) is a good start. Pretty much sums up the Marxist viewpoint.

[JiangQing]

I dont think "highest stage" is the best to start with even it embodies the analysis but Lenis Work "Imperialism and the split in socialsm" (you'll find it on marxists(dot)org) because it contains the definition and the standpoint of the proletariat and it is shorter and more comprehensible.