Embedded Files
_____________________________________________________
The following are books, written by historians, that I have read and highly recommend.
And - watch some of them discuss the question - "Should we be proud of the British Empire?"
JAN MORRIS
Previously known as James Morris, her Empire trilogy was the most fascinating and enthralling broad introduction to the story of the British overseas that I have read.
Written some three decades ago, utilising an old-fashioned but thoroughly charming narrative approach to flush out much of the sights, smells, glories and horrors of empire-building.
Books: Heaven's Command: An Imperial Progress (1973); Pax Britannica: The Climax of Empire (1968); Farewell the Trumpets: An Imperial Retreat (1978). Collectively known as the Pax Britannica trology.
CHARLES ALLEN
Not strictly a set of history books, Allen's three Tales are a rich and evocative archive of memories, recollections and happy anecdotes by former colonials.
While it does not pretend that empire-building was ever bloodless, painless or wholly charitable, his stories do provide some insight into the hearts and minds of those involved, and brings to the fore the conviction that they were there to do some good, even if not always applauded for it.
Books: Plain Tales from the Raj: Images of British India in the Twentieth Century (1975); Tales from he Dark Continent: Images of British Colonial Africa in the Twentieth Century (1979); Tales from the South China Sea: Images of the British in South East Asia in the Twentieth Century (1983)
Above is my copy of the original 1983 edition of Tales from the South China Seas, purchased from a second-hand bookstore in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2002. The inside has been inscribed with names of the Bruce family, originally from Bannockburn in Scotland. The book itself was owned by Shelagh Thomas (nee Bruce), who is listed as a daughter of William Hunter Bruce. The various places in British Malaya where the family resided are noted on the page.
Born in 1944, Winchester's life has paralleled the eventful and spectacular decline of the British Empire. His assignments as a journalist brought him to all corners of the world, including the few remaining outposts of the British Empire.
It was on his frist trip to Uganda in the 1970s that he read James Morris' Coronation Everest. In 1982, he was stationed in the Falklands when the Argentinians invaded the island group. He reported on the Troubles in Northern Ireland and was also in Hong Kong before her handover back to China.
THE OXFORD HISTORY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
This is a five-volume scholarly survey of the subject which appeared in the the late 1990s, with contributions from numerous notable historian.
Taking a somewhat critical view of the Empire, this collection of articles is none the less a necessary addition to the library. The editor-in-chief was the eminent American historian William Roger Louis, and each of the volumes is an exposition of the progress of empire from its early origins to the twentieth century.
BERNARD PORTER
I first read Porter in university, his The Lion's Share being the standard undergraduate's introduction to the British Empire. The book's popularity and relevance is evidenced by its reprinting in several editions. I have two copies, including the one on the right, with the iconic image of the British colonial.
As for Porter, he has gone from good to very good, and his latest books are written with a justified air of authority. I picked up and paid a tidy sum for British Imperial from Dymocks in Sydney, and found it a thoughtful and concise review of the subject of Porter's own expertise.
Books: The Lion's Share: A Short History of British Imperialism 1850 - 2004 (four editions since the 1970s), The Absent Minded Imperialists (2004), British Imperial: What the Empire Wasn't (2015)
NIALL FERGUSON
Niall Ferguson is one of the modern breed of historians who have adopted a counter perspective to the many critics of Empire who have risen in the last three decades, many of whom carried on Edward Said's hyper-critical prognosis of the "western" mind's imaginings of the "oriental."
The book Empire: How Britain Made The Modern World was boldly titled and brash in its assertion that, while there were numerous wrongs committed in the process of building an empire, many benefits have accrued to the world too. No doubt Ferguson's book will continue to be demonised; it has, nevertheless, been a stalwart addition to the historiography of the British Empire.
JEREMY PAXMAN
Not everyone will agree with my inclusion of Paxman, who is more recognisably a broadcaster and journalist than a historian.
In 2011, Paxman wrote the book Empire: What Ruling The World Did To The British.
This was followed up with a documentary series broadcast on BBC One the following year.
Originally conceived to be a sharp critique of Empire, Paxman's travels to many ex-colonies prompted a re-think, having discovered to his surprise that the antagonism to the colonial legacy was less virulent than he had thought. In fact, general sentiments ranged from ambivalence to quiet respect and even fawning admiration.
Not unexpectedly, the book has generated much heat and controversy.
JOHN DARWIN
A University of Oxford don, Darwin has written extensively on the history of empires, their rise and fall, as well as the history of the movement of peoples, goods, ideas and information across the world.
I first came across his book Decolonisation years ago as a history undergraduate, seeking a concise summary of the whole process. Darwin's latest book, Unfinished Empire, has been described as both controversial and comprehensive, but has also been lavishly praised as providing an objective overview of how the empire has shaped the world in so many ways.
Unfinished Empire was reviewed by the Daily Telegraph, by Linda Colley for The Guardian, and in History Today magazine.
ASHLEY JACKSON
Yet another delightful slim volume in the ever-growing list of books in Oxford University Press' A Very Short Introduction series.
"... Ashley Jackson introduces and defines the British Empire. He looks at how the Empire was ruled, how it expanded and contracted, and its international context. He also considers how people have written about the British Empire, as well as the legacies and debates surrounding the imperial record."
The goodreads review may be found here.
Tarling / Tristram Hunt / Dennis Judd
Historians and great books
/ MacMillan
Google Sites
Report abuse