This leading general history of British imperialism, from its Victorian heyday to present times, has been thoroughly revised and updated. As well as presenting a lively narrative of events, Bernard Porter explores a number of broad analytical themes, challenging more conventional and popular interpretations. He sees imperialism as a symptom not of Britain's strength in the world, but of her decline; and he argues that the empire itself both aggravated and obscured deep-seated malaise in the British economy. A refreshing look at one of the central aspects of British history.
Introduction 0. Introduction 1. An empire in all but name: the mid-nineteenth century 2. Shifts and expedients: 1857-75 3. Conquests forced on us: 1875-90 4. Struggles for existence: 1890 5. A limited area of heather alight: 1890-1905 6. An essential compromise: 1905-14 7. Everything becomes fluid: 1914-20 8. Difficult times: 1920-39 9. Moving quickly: 1939-70 10. A sudden shift: 1970-95 11. Coming out of the closet: circa 2000 Further reading Index
