Up to World War II and beyond, the British ruled over a vast empire. Modern western attitudes towards the imperial past tend either towards nostalgia for British power or revulsion at what seem to be the abuses of that power. The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire adopts neither of these approaches. It aims to create historical understanding about the British empire on the assumption that such understanding is important for any informed appreciation of the modern world. Through striking illustration and a text written by leading experts, this book examines the experience of colonialism in North America, India, Africa, Australia, and the Caribbean, as well as the impact of the empire on Britain itself. Emphasis is placed on social and cultural history, including slavery, trade, religion, art, and the movement of ideas. How did the British rule their empire? Who benefited economically from the empire? And who lost?
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Review
'… a critical, balanced, lucid, and endlessly fascinating survey of the British empire in all its complexity and human drama for the general reader.' Boston Book Review
'This impressive book more than does justice to the breadth of empire and its influence … a fascinating and impressive achievement.' Tim Newark, Military Illustrated
'… an interesting story readably told …' Yorkshire Gazette & Herald
'This impressive book more than does justice to the breadth of empire and its influence … a fascinating and impressive achievement.' Tim Newark, Military Illustrated
'… an interesting story readably told …' Yorkshire Gazette & Herald
Book Description
Through striking illustration and a text written by leading experts, this book examines the experience of British colonialism in America, India, Africa, Australia, and the Caribbean, as well as the impact of the empire on Britain itself. Emphasis is placed on social and cultural history and the movement of ideas.
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First Sentence
This book begins at one of the British empire's darkest hours. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
This book begins at one of the British empire's darkest hours. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Evren Genc
Format:Hardcover
A book titled as "British Empire" is always liable to being a discussion board or a propaganda material for imperialist vs. anti-imperialist clashes. But the best aspect of this book is that it never goes into such discussions, which can probably never be resolved anyway, and gives the views of both parties where necessary. So, I can safely say that the tone of this book is extremely close to being perfect. As for presentation; I am not very much satisfied with the organization of the material in this book. This makes it much less useful as a reference material. But this is not to say that the material in the book is not rich. I also liked the page & print & cover quality of the book. As a result, this is a quality pick for those who are really interested in the subject. Nevertheless, with its good quality and rich visual content, it can always give the taste of reading about Imperial Britain to new readers.
By David
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Marshall has done an excellent job in editing this book, which is cited in a number of Units within the Open University A200 Medieval to Modern: 1400-1900 module. Each section is written in a clear, informative, interesting style and provides a good grounding for the period covering the late eighteenth century through to the mid twentieth century. You will need to use this in conjunction with other historical texts for the A200 course, or for that matter, general reading on this period of British history. That said, it is highly recommended reading and certainly worth adding to your bookshelf.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.8 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A decent book with rich material and a handsome package.
12 Dec 2000
By Evren Genc
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
A book titled as "British Empire" is always liable to being a discussion board of a propaganda material for imperialist vs. anti-imperialist clashes. But the best aspect of this book is that it never goes into such discussions, which can probably never be resolved anyway, and gives the views of both parties where necessary. So, I can safely say that the tone of this book is extremely close to being perfect. As for presentation; I am not very much satisfied with the organization of the material in this book. This makes it much less useful as a reference material. But this is not to say that the material in the book is not rich. I also liked the page & print & cover quality of the book. As a result, this is a quality pick for those who are really interested in the subject. Nevertheless, with its good quality and rich visual content, it can always give the taste of reading about Imperial Britain to new readers.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
fascinating book
14 Sep 2000
By S. Morris
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is full of rich, relevant pictures to complement the text. A good general overview of the imperial experience. It's content is as worthy as its appearance.
3 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Correction of yesterday's review.
12 Dec 2000
By Evren Genc
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
In the review I made yesterday for this book, I now notice that I made a tying mistake. The 'of' in the first sentence should read 'or'. The correct version of the review is as follows. A book titled as "British Empire" is always liable to being a discussion board or a propaganda material for imperialist vs. anti-imperialist clashes. But the best aspect of this book is that it never goes into such discussions, which can probably never be resolved anyway, and gives the views of both parties where necessary. So, I can safely say that the tone of this book is extremely close to being perfect. As for presentation; I am not very much satisfied with the organization of the material in this book. This makes it much less useful as a reference material. But this is not to say that the material in the book is not rich. I also liked the page & print & cover quality of the book. As a result, this is a quality pick for those who are really interested in the subject. Nevertheless, with its good quality and rich visual content, it can always give the taste of reading about Imperial Britain to new readers.
›
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3.8 out of 5 stars
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