After all, there is a lot of time and history involved with so monumental a subject. Olive patricia dickason, professor emeritus at university of alberta and adjunct professor department of history olive patricia dickason snippet view 1984. Looking for a good book about the history of the british. The book is split into five parts, which proceed roughly in reverse chronological order, beginning in the. The british empire alone is a subject with myriad routes of study and research, with the possibility of concentrating on one facet, such as the military, political, economic, or cultural history of the empire. A good educational course on the british empire what made the experience of listening to the rise and fall of the british empire the most enjoyable. Challenges to modern british imperialism, there has been no shortage of blockbusters about the british empire to be found on the shelves of local booksellers. If you ask any indian writer which english book about india has meant. History of the british empire by charles payne nook book. Mulligatawny the soup of an empire live history india. The cambridge illustrated history of the british empire.
A book with so ambitious a title as the rise and fall of the british empire holds much promise for the reader. John smith is one of seven men appointed by the london company to serve on the colonys council. Ten books that shaped the british empire duke university press. Not knowing what era of british history youre interested in, really makes it difficult as to what to recommend you read. The resulting narrative is something like an affective history of the british empire. An intimate history of the british empire the new yorker. However, as a fan of history in general, i could suggest several factual history books i have loved such as. I believe there was a thread about this a short while ago, but i cant for the life of me find it, and the search function appears to be broken. The history professor tells us why its less interesting to argue about whether the empire was a force for good or ill. The decline and fall of the british empire when the great exhibition opened in 1851, britain was the greatest imperial power in history. The british empire sent a fleet to africa and the caribbean to maintain the slave trade while the very same empire later sent another fleet to enforce abolition. It originated with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by england between the late 16th and early 18th centuries.
Delhi, 1857 by william dalrymple it presents a great and very detailed account of the sepoy mutiny. The best books on the british empire five books expert. The british empire through time from early discoveries, through bitter wars with other powers, to popular uprisings, the british empire went through many changes during the course of history. The process of strengthening the power of the state was continued by williams son. At the launch of the festival of britain in 1951, that empire was crumbling before the nations eyes. However it is very probritish with very little analysis. This book is volume ii of a series detailing the history of the british empire and it examines the history of british worldwide expansion from the glorious revolution of 1689 to the end of the napoleonic wars, a crucial phase in the creation of the modern british empire.
This book traces the evolution of a great empire, which has often conquered others, out of a little island which was often conquered itself. Many of these take for granted the rise and fall narrative of empire. Whats the best history book about great britain as well. The rise and fall of the british empire covers the history of british expansion overseas from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. British empire, a worldwide system of dependenciescolonies, protectorates, and other territoriesthat over a span of some three centuries was brought under the sovereignty of the crown of great britain and the administration of the british government. The secret history of the end of an empire hardcover. This is the age of general wolfe, clive of india, and captain cook. The particular tradition of armed policing, first patented in ireland in the 1820s, became the established pattern until the empires final collapse.
We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. The promises of freedom that the allies fought for was transformed into a reality as the dominions and commonwealth argued for independence after the war. From dancing to bookbrowsing, the scenes depicted will echo favorite moments in a childs own day, ending on a bedtime note. The rise and fall of the british empire by lawrence. This withering retort to british jingoism from the socialist and radical ernest jones not only. The cambridge history of the british empire volume iii the empire commonwealth 18701919 the cambridge history of the british empire, volume 3 benians, e. The british empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the united kingdom and its predecessor states. Pollard was a major force in establishing history as an academic subject in britain. A constitutional history of the british empire, from many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive.
Spanning the years from 1600 to the present day, this critically acclaimed book combines detailed scholarship with readable popular history. Bayly and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Mercantilism, hanseatic monopolists, holland supplants spain, cromwell readmits the jews into england, william of orange, france debarred, the cost of zionism, traders profits, the role of disraeli, a zionist empire, the price britain pays, material losses, spiritual losses, italy supplants britain, honest merchants warning, etc. An assessment of the british empire in the light of the progressive opening of historical records, this twentiethcentury volume helps us to understand the end of. I would not have opposed the second policy because of my objections to the first. The old empire from the beginnings to 1783 introduction charles lucas england and the opening of the atlantic j. The decline and fall of the british empire historyextra. The british empire in world war 2 was able to harness the power of all the countries to move as a unified force but the myth of british invincibility was shattered. Lets end the myths of britains imperial past books the guardian. Mary wollstonecrafts a vindication of the rights of women was published at the end of the 18th century a century marked by the emergence of the philosophical spirit and the. British police, known as black and tans, searching a suspected irish republican, ireland, 1923. T he study of imperial and colonial history has a wide scope, covering many centuries, continents, and cultures, and representation on the internet reflects this. Focusing on the most prominent and wideranging empire in world history, the british empire, jeremy black provides not only a history of that empire, but also a perspective from which to consider the issues of its strengths and weaknesses, and rights and.
If you want to learn about history of india during british rule, you should definitely read. Uncovering the brutal truth about the british empire. The cambridge history of the british empire book, 1929. Volume ii of the oxford history of the british empire examines the history of british worldwide expansion from the glorious revolution of 1689 to the end of the napoleonic wars, a crucial phase in the creation of the modern british empire. A history of the british empire at its peak the new york. In the end, the royal navy forced the chinese state to reopen their ports to the indian opium trade, and the british obtained hong kong in the bargain as part of the british empire itself.
In the first 150 years, from 1600 to 1750, expansion was a matter of setting up small but prosperous trading posts and settlements very close to the sea. But then i was drawn into the wider history of this extraordinary enterprise. The origins of colonialism lie, in other words, in a time when britain was still a feudal kingdom, with a parliament but little democracy, and when. The issue of archival erasure figures prominently in elkinss next book, a history of violence at the end of the british empire whose case studies will include kenya, aden, cyprus, malaya. In the rise and fall of the british empire, lawrence james has written a comprehensive, perceptive, and insightful history of the british empire. On its empire the sun never sets, and the blood never dried either. Imperial intimacies weaves the history of british imperialism.
Indian society and the making of the british empire the new cambridge history of india by c. Looking for a good book about the history of the british empire. Probritish empire this is an overview of the british empire spanning over 500 years with different authors for each chapter. Her previous books of cultural history take up, among other topics, c. What are some of the best books on the history of the. Teaching the past in 20th century england how does that fit in with our perception of the british empire. The rise and fall of the british empire audiobook by. His energy, his resourcefulness and his skill in negotiating with the indians soon. A good rule of thumb is that if a book on british history compiles the 600 years between the fall of the western roman empire and the norman conquest into only a couple chapters, it isnt a very good book and it is likely to treat potentially legendary accounts such as hengest and horsa as fact and, even worse, will probably adopt the. Williamson the beginnings of english colonisation, 15691618 a. Lets end the myths of britains imperial past books.
The cambridge history of the british empire, volume 8 eric anderson walker snippet view 1963. Top 10 books about the british in india books the guardian. But the hardship has produced the first notable leader in british colonial history. For almost four hundred years britain ruled substantial areas of the world outside europe. A book like this one is particularly valuable in an age when history undergraduates often startle their teachers by their ignorance of basic facts. Allitts clear and easytounderstand presentation on the history of the british empire. This excellent and very accessible book provided the story, insight, depth of analysis and objective overview of the british empire i was looking for. For most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the british ruled over a colossal empire that stretched from one end of the map to the other. A history of the british empire book by trevor lloyd. John darwin is an oxford historian much indebted to robinson and gallagher, who were the presiding deities of a certain way of doing imperial history. If there ever was a dish, which exemplified the heydays of the british empire, it would be the mulligatawny soup.
This was the age of general wolfe, clive of india, and captain cook. I value and honour our history enormously, he said in a speech in 1997, but he thought that britains empire should be the cause of neither. One cannot contemplate modern history without considering the role of the british empire. Your final choice is the empire project by john darwin, which explores the rise and fall of the british empire. History of hong kong from prehistoric village to british colony duration. Combining insights from imperial studies and transnational book history, this provocative collection opens new vistas on both fields through ten accessible. The cambridge illustrated history of the british empire is an illuminating survey of the development and impact of the british empire from the end of the. Perhaps the most egregious claim of the apologists is that the british empire should be lauded because it helped end slavery.
As antoinette burton points out in the introduction to her newest work, the trouble with empire. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. A british commemoration of victory in the opium war. In almost four decades of researching books about india, i can recall not a single indian who chose to reject me simply because i was british. It shows how and why england, and later britain, became involved with transoceanic navigation, trade, and settlement during the sixteenth and seventeenth.