- Paperback: 544 pages
- Publisher: Fontana Press; New Ed edition (17 Mar 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006379745
- ISBN-13: 978-0006379744
- Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13 x 3.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 659,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Synopsis
The British Empire radically altered the modern world. At its height, it governed over a quarter of the human race and encompassed more that a fifth of the globe. As well as providing the British people with profits and a sense of international purpose, the Empire afforded them the opportunity to create new lives for themselves through emigration and settlement. For those it dominated and controlled, the Empire often represented arbitary power, gunboat diplomacy, the disruption of local customs and government by a distant administration. This study analyzes the British imperial experience from the American Revolution to the present day. It examines the ways in which Empire affected both rulers and ruled, and the roles of significant personalities - from Queen Victoria to Nelson Mandela, Cecil Rhodes to Mahatma Gandhi.
From the Back Cover
The British Empire radically altered the modern world. At its height, it governed over a quarter of the human race, and encompassed more than a fifth of the globe. As well as providing the British people with profits and a sense of international purpose, the Empire afforded them the opportunity to create new lives for themselves through migration and settlement. For those it dominated and controlled, the Empire often represented arbitrary power, gunboat diplomacy, the disruption of local customs and government by a distant and sometimes coldly unsympathetic administration. Yet while it rested ultimately upon military force and direct rule, the Empire also pulsated with ideals – of freedom, democracy, and even equality.
"A detailed, colony-by-colony and episode-by-episode narrative, written with great thoroughness and keen analysis. It is also very well written and will become an indispensable one-volume source for anyone concerned to know about the most important non-domestic institution created by the British during their existence as a single nation."
JOHN KEEGAN, 'Literary Review'
"Wonderfully ambitious … a pungent and attractive survey of the British Empire from 1765 to the present."
LINDA COLLEY, 'London Review of Books'
"The best general history on the subject now available … always stimulating and absorbing and sometimes an unrivalled tour d'horizon."
FRANK McLYNN, 'Irish Times'
"Thoroughly readable … can be recommended to students as much as to the general reader."
C.A. BAYLY, 'Times Higher Educational Supplement'
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First Sentence
THIS BOOK DOES NOT seek to provide a complete and comprehensive narrative account of the British Empire from its early beginnings to its final collapse. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THIS BOOK DOES NOT seek to provide a complete and comprehensive narrative account of the British Empire from its early beginnings to its final collapse. Read the first page
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Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Many of us who know little about the British Empire have a very specific, sometimes idealised view of it. Denis Judd's well-researched, insightful book deals precisely and definitvely with conventional viewpoints of Empire as repression or enlightenment of native races. In his book he argues coherently that Empire was not a 'grand plan' of the British government but rather a mish-mash, making 'the best of a bad job'. I found the whole book to be a remarkable appraisal of the state of Empire over the last two centuries and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in history.
0 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Very disappointed with this purchase. It was described as a 'Like New' hardcover but is actually a soiled, ink-stained, paperback. I wouldn't have paid 50p for it in a charity shop. All I ask for is an honest description so I can make an informed decision on whether to buy the book. Needless to say I won't buy from this seller again.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Great analysis of the Rise and Fall of the British Empire
24 Sep 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dennis Judd's book on the history of the British Empire is not a day by day approach to empire but a focus on the most important events that shaped that empire. Things such as the India uprising in 1857 or the work of Cecil Rhodes are the main focus. The stories that are chosen do an excellent job of showing how the empire developed and the path it took to formation. This really is the best single volume work on the British Empire in terms of a pure history. The book covers all parts of the empire and has interesting vignettes such as the formation of the boy scouts. It also covers some of the major internal domestic squabbles within Great Britain as they relate to empire. I found that the discussions on how world war 1 and 2 affected the empire were very accurate and to the point. The reader can get a very good sense of how the British were drained of resources by the wars and see the effect this had on empire. As nationalistic movements took root in the various countries the British found it more difficult to control. Particularly with the end of Lend Lease by Truman the British were forced to grant independence to their colonies. The last few chapters focus on the remaining parts of the empire and how they fit into the commonwealth including the struggle with the Falkland Islands. If the reader wants a much more detailed account of the empire try to the Oxford history five volume British Empire. Judd's account is very readable and well done for those wanting a review of the salient points in the Empire's history.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A vivid, detailed analysis of the Empire
24 Mar 1999
Format:Hardcover
This book looks at specific events over the course of the history of the British Empire, and analyzes each in telling detail. A wonderful introduction seemingly designed for those, like me, who are fascinated by the British Empire and who want an overall introduction to its complicated history.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Get the Lawrence James book instead
9 April 2008
Format:Paperback
As a historian I find that Mr Judd makes far too many ignorant and simplistic mistakes in this book for me to overlook. For instance he makes no distinction between Australia's or South Africa's Dominion status and Southern Rhodesia's self governing status, something anyone who studies the subject should know, the difference is remarkably important and greatly influenced why white-rule and segregation were eventually ended in that country (today Zimbabwe). His tone on the matter of self-governing settlers and his refusal to distinguish between Dominions and self-governing colonies (of which Southern Rhodesia was the only one) strongly implies that Britain was capable of dictating foreign policy to Australia and Canada during the 20th century! He also focuses an unnecessary amount on who was homosexual and he devotes dozens of pages to sexuality, particularly homosexuality throughout the Empire, which is childish and very beside the point. He also makes lazy broad generalizations such as referring to places like Burma and Ceylon as being part of the Raj in India; they were British territories but they were never in fact governed by the Raj, they were crown colonies with appointed governors much like Nigeria or Bermuda, Judd show's a remarkable inability to get these sorts of details right and there are so many of them that as someone who studies the British Empire in much depth this book was disgruntling and I find it to frankly be irresponsible to publish something so subtley and casually inaccurate and call yourself a historian. The amount of demonizing of the British that again, he does very subtly seems to hint and some sort of either Anglophobia or since he is from Britain, a distinct sense of self-loathing and which compounds his inaccuracies and gives me the impression he has some sort of angle here other than that of a historian. Do not buy this book if you want a good book on the history of the British Empire, as someone who is relatively obsessed with the topic, I would recommend the Rise and Fall of the British Empire by Lawrence James.
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