Product Description

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE covers the history of British expansion overseas from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. Narrative and analysis are interwoven with revealing eyewitness quotation to provide keen insight into the minds of those involved in conquering, settling and ruling the greatest Empire the world has seen. Throughout, there are consistant themes; the search for profit and the moral misgivings it generated; domestic developments which made imperial expansion desirable; and the sense of national and personal destiny felt by the empire-builders. Spanning four centuries and six continents, James' magnificent survey examines the imperial experience and its legacy with tremendous verve. Informed, comprehensive and perceptive, it is the essential summary of the era. 'James' epic is not only a first-rate narrative, but also a penetrating portrait of the British...Having largely, if often inadvertently, selfishly or ham-fistedly, engineered the world we live in, we need the courage now to face up to our record as coolly and intelligently as Lawrence James has done' - John Spurling, TLS

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18117 in Books
• Published on: 1995-11-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 704 pages

Review
'A masterpiece' A N Wilson '...with this superb history of a mammoth subject his writing career has reached its apogee.' Andrew Roberts, THE TIMES 'James never loses sight of his grand design, yet he still finds room for the telling detail which illuminates and enriches a narrative" Philip Ziegler, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 'A stimulating book... intelligent and making no concessions to current cliche.' IRISH TIMES 'With dispassion and erudition James restores it to us mixing a pacy, lucid narrative with enlivening detail taken from political, cultural and populist sources.' EVENING STANDARD 'A pleasure to read.' SUNDAY TIMES 'The structure of the book [is] exemplary and the story unfold with magnificent force.' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'What James is bests at is providing a narrative sweep of history. He has a remarkable ability to encompass a huge range of factual material. His account of the lead-up to the First World War, its aftermath, and the complexity of the colonial response to the rise of Nazism is fascinating.' INDEPENDENT 'Lawrence James has written what I have long wanted: a readable, intelligent history of the British Empire in one volume.' SPECTATOR (BOOKS OF THE YEAR) 'A thumping good read.' SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY

Andrew Roberts, THE TIMES
'...with this superb history of a mammoth subject his writing career has reached its apogee.'

About the Author
Lawrence James was a founder member of York University and then took a research degree at Merton College, Oxford. After a distinguished teaching career he has emerged as one of the outstanding narrative historians of his generation.

Customer Reviews

An excellent book that I could not put down.
James' reading of History and English shows throughout this book. He has chronologically portrayed the rise and fall of the British Empire with snippets of poems and literature - relevant to the time. The book gives the ignorant a good introduction to the empire and the underlying reasons for it's creation and fall. James never leaves the 'beaten track' in this narrative, but provides almost infinite ideas for further reading within this vast subject. Excellent!!!!

A well written account of a neglected history
In these post imperial days it seems that we are too guilt ridden to view the history of the British Empire in context. Mr. James sets out to bring us the history of the empire in terms which though perhaps not totally impartial (he appears to believe on balance it was a good thing)are not jaundiced by dogma.
The British were never completely comfortable with the concept of empire. Driven by the two goals of trade and settlement, the British Empire almost came about by accident. Mr. James is excellent at showing how British attitudes towards empire changed throughout the imperial period. Starting from almost indifference at the beginning, to national obession by the end of the 19th century. The story of the British Empire is one which has touched the lives of almost a 1/4 of the worlds population. Mr. James makes the point that the empire might have died, but that it's influence will linger for a long while yet. A worthwhile read

A hugely accomplished survay!
The British Empire is a vast and complex historical subject. However, Lawrence James manages easily to detail its growth and decline in a manner that is not only highly informative, but thourghly enjoyable to read. His writing style is laid back and the sheer volume of historical detail he packs into every chapter is breathtaking. His selective use of seemingly insignificant anecdotes draws the reader into the book, even provoking the occasional snigger (something not always associated with history!). "The Rise and Fall of the British Empire" is a fantastic study that anybody with even a fleeting interest in Britain's Imperial history and legacy should read.