Product Description

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?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #139978 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-02
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

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

About the Author
P. J. Marshall is Emeritus Professor of History at King’s College, London, where he taught the history of empire from 1959–93. He was born in Calcutta, educated at Oxford, and is a Fellow of the British Academy. His numerous publications include The Impeachment of Warren Hastings; The British Discovery of Hinduism; East Indian Fortunes; and Bengal, the British Bridgehead. Professor Marshall is an associate editor of The Writings and Speeches of Edmund Burke.

Customer Reviews

A well-packaged, decent book, with rich material.
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.