Colonialism and imperialism Books

Book SynopsisIn early 1900, the paths of three British writers—Rudyard Kipling, Mary Kingsley and Arthur Conan Doyle—crossed in South Africa, during what’s become known as Britain’s last imperial war. Each of the three had pressing personal reasons to leave England behind, but they were also motivated by notions of duty, service, patriotism and, in Kipling's case, jingoism. Sarah LeFanu compellingly opens an unexplored chapter of these writers’ lives, at a turning point for Britain and its imperial ambitions. Was the South African War, as Kipling claimed, a dress rehearsal for the Armageddon of World War One? Or did it instead foreshadow the anti-colonial guerrilla wars of the later twentieth century? Weaving a rich and varied narrative, LeFanu charts the writers’ paths in the theatre of war, and explores how this crucial period shaped their cultural legacies, their shifting reputations, and their influence on colonial policy.Trade Review'Through careful research and compelling writing, Sara LeFanu brings to life three great writers of the Victorian world and draws them together in a moment of imperial reconfiguration. … [Something of Themselves] succeeds in avoiding the predictability of conventional biography and helps us rethink the literary geographies of the period.' -- Journeys journal

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Book SynopsisThe memoirs of Sidney Wadsworth are a vital source on Britain's colonial history during the first half of the twentieth century. Recounting his long and distinguished career in the Indian Civil Service, Wadsworth paints an entertaining picture of the many places in Madras province where he served, with illuminating portraits of the important British and Indian figures with whom he associated. Here we see through his eyes the growth of Indian nationalism and the rise of Gandhi, and the impact of the Second World War on Madras. Reliving his journey from junior member of the ICS to High Court judge, Wadsworth displays a shrewd acumen and a keen eye for the ridiculous. By no means uncritical of British rule, he emerges from these pages as a conscientious, humane and reasonable official--unlike some of his contemporaries--and one able to accept the huge changes overtaking India. The physical and moral demands of his daily routine reveal the commitment of an administration that, for all its failings, steadily pursued the goal of good and impartial government. Also featuring excerpts from the memoirs of other civil servants then in the province, 'A Judge in Madras' will fascinate anyone interested in the colonial encounter.Trade Review'A vivid account of official life in late British India. Ad hoc solutions and eccentrics abound, and we even learn about the darker side of tigers and elephants. If only there were more books on the Raj like this.' -- Roderick Matthews, historian and author of 'Jinnah vs. Gandhi''A timely reminder in this age with the rise in popularity of “distress studies” that we must look at history in the context of its own time, and that any such understanding should start with an attempt to understand the mentality of those who bore positions of responsibility within its structure.' -- Asian Affairs'Caroline Keen adds a historian’s eye to the rich and entertaining memoirs of Sir Sidney Wadsworth, presenting readers with an intimate portrait of South India in the early twentieth century. As vibrant as the tropical climes of the Coromandel Coast, this splendidly detailed book is a pleasure to read and an important contribution to the historiography of the Raj.' -- John Zubrzycki, journalist, researcher and author of 'Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic''A timely reminder, among all the postcolonial polemics, that The Indian Civil Service gave India the world’s finest administrative service, who did their very best for the subjects they ruled. This book, based on memoirs by a British judge, demonstrates the incorruptible dedication of thousands of officials of the Raj.' -- Zareer Masani, historian, broadcaster and author of 'Macaulay: Britain's Liberal Imperialist''While colonialism these days stands rightly condemned, it is easy to forget that many of those caught up in its history were human too--and, in the case of Sidney Wadsworth, remarkably humane.' -- David Washbrook, Fellow, University of Cambridge

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Book SynopsisHow can we explain Britain’s long rule in India beyond the clichés of ‘imperial’ versus ‘nationalist’ interpretations? In this new history, Roderick Matthews tells a more nuanced story of ‘oblige and rule’, the foundation of common purpose between colonisers and powerful Indians. Peace, Poverty and Betrayal argues that this was more a state of being than a system: British policy was never clear or consistent; the East India Company went from a manifestly incompetent ruler to, arguably, the world’s first liberal government; and among British and Indians alike there were both progressive and conservative attitudes to colonisation. Matthews skilfully illustrates that this very diversity and ambiguity of British–Indian relations also drove the social changes that led to the struggle for independence. Skewering the simplistic binaries that often dominate the debate, 'Peace, Poverty and Betrayal' is a fresh and elegant history of British India.Trade Review‘Mr. Matthews’s discerning book isn’t a revisionist defense of the Raj. It is, instead, a warning against the glib postcolonial assumption “that because British rule is viewed as bad, therefore anything else would have been better.”' -- Tunku Varadarajan, The Wall Street Journal‘This brave and intelligent book will satisfy neither empire loyalists nor today’s rabid nationalists, which is all the more reason to applaud its author and relish the clarity of his analysis.’ -- Literary Review'Matthews explores with great delicacy and intelligence… how Britain became itself, at home, more liberal and democratic, while, as an imperial power, becoming the opposite.’ -- The Catholic Herald‘Matthews demonstrates an encyclopaedic knowledge of British rule in India [and] frequently challenges conventional views of events and personalities who shaped British India.’ -- Asian Review of Books'A fresh perspective of the British era that rejects many existing biases. … Elegantly written, backed with sound historical research and convincing arguments, the book is a page-turner.' -- Financial Express'A radical re-appraisal of British rule in India that challenges current thinking on colonialism in the subcontinent. […] This is a thoughtful, thought-provoking book with enough to keep the reader travelling through four centuries of our former relationship with India.' -- Journal of Asian Affairs'Insightful and indeed revelatory… conceptual but also remarkably well-informed historically.' -- Marginal Revolution blog'A radical re-appraisal of British rule in India that challenges current thinking on colonialism in the subcontinent. The author, Roderick Matthews, with his own Indian connections, evaluates the East India Company and its successor, the British Raj, by examining how closely both were influenced by Parliament and contemporary opinion in England. From a liberal, Whiggish perspective which directed Company policy to the hierarchical Tory view that courted India's princes but ignored its peasants, Matthews is acute and perceptive. He argues that the Company acted as a buffer between India and Parliament and that far from being a successful commercial enterprise, it frequently had to be bailed out by the British government. He examines in detail the failure after the Uprising of 1858 to modernise India, to treat its citizens as adults, not children, that denied them the electoral reforms introduced in Britain. He describes the high imperialism of late 19th century Britain, seemingly baffled by 'India's exotic backwardness' and contrasts this with a deeper understanding of the country during the earlier years of British intervention. Betrayal came with the persistent lack of economic activity and a series of uninspired Viceroys. Growing demands for greater Indian representation in the governance of their own country temporarily halted during World War Two but resurfaced immediately afterwards and led to a hasty, botched, Independence that saw the great subcontinent divided for ever. An important book.' -- Dr Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, author, inter alia, of The Last King In India: Wajid Ali Shah (Hurst, 2014)'Peace, Poverty and Betrayal succeeds in providing a wider understanding of Anglo-Indian history by illustrating the way in which divisions in Britain along party political lines shaped attitudes to the governance of India. Maintaining that a willing acceptance of the uncompromising and immutable nature of 'imperialism' in current historiography has tended to disguise the link between the frequent changes in fashion in British politics and the execution of colonial rule in India, Matthews skilfully weaves together the disparate strands of conservative and radical thought which influenced the most prominent British officials and statesmen on the Indian stage. Tackling the thorny issue of "divide and rule", the book argues that the British spent significantly more time uniting than dividing India and, taking advantage of the complex and highly flexible alliances which always existed between elite groups of British and Indians, cultivated loyalty where it could be found with the goal of avoiding rather than fostering civil tension and the subsequent threat to the stability of the Raj. Admittedly culpable in other areas, the British failed in Matthews' view by under-stimulating the Indian economy in which Indian interests were never properly represented and, by supporting the Indian conservative classes after 1857, betraying the hopes of those Indians who aspired to work in partnership with the British to build a modern India.' -- Dr Caroline Keen, author of, inter alia, Princely India and the British: Political Development and the Operation of Empire'One of the best things about this book is that it sidesteps the usual binaries and looks at British India as it actually was, as complex and confused as today's India, neither good nor bad but very, very messy. And, as usual, Matthews is a delight to read.' -- Pritish Nandy, former Rajha Sahba MP, poet, film-maker, journalist and former managing editor, Times of India, and editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India.'A fresh, engaging and challenging perspective on British rule in India, Roderick Mathew's lucidly written and well researched book will reset the debate on colonial rule and legacy in South Asia.' -- Dr Yaqoob Khan Bangash, Director, Centre for Governance and Policy, ITU Lahore, author of A Princely Affair: Accession and Integration of the Princely States of Pakistan; founder of ThinkFest Pakistan.

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Book Synopsis'Empire Building' is a new account of the East India Company's impact on India, focussing on how it changed the sub-continent's built environment in the context of defence, urbanisation, and infrastructural development. Rosie Llewellyn-Jones examines these initiatives through a lens of 'political building' (using Indian contractors and labourers). Railways, docks, municipal buildings, freemasons' lodges, hotels, race-courses, barracks, cemeteries, statues, canals--everything the British erected made a political statement, even if unconsciously; hence this book is concerned less with architectural styles, more with subtle infiltration into the minds of those who saw and used these structures. It assesses, in turn, Indian responses to the changing landscape. Indians often reacted favourably to new manufacturing technologies from Britain, like minting and gunpowder, while the British learnt from and adapted local methods. From military engineers and cartography to imported raw metals and steam power, Llewellyn-Jones considers the social and environmental changes wrought by colonialism. This period was marked by a shift from formerly private, Indian-controlled functions, like education, entertainment, trading and healing, to British public institutions like universities, theatres, chambers of commerce and hospitals.Trade Review'A fascinatingly novel approach to studies of empire that is as illuminating as it is enjoyable.' -- Asian Review of Books'With learning and dispassion, Llewellyn-Jones neither overplays the infrastructural legacy of the Raj nor, as is more often the case, does she excitedly tear it down.' -- Air Mail‘This book is concerned less with architectural styles, more with [the] subtle infiltration into the minds of those who saw and used these structures. It assesses, in turn, Indian responses to the changing landscape.’ -- Financial Express‘In Empire Building, Rosie Llewellyn-Jones traces the history of Indian cartography during the British years.’ -- The Print‘Although little remains of early Empire, other than the monumental buildings of the time, [Llewellyn-Jones] pulls together… intriguing stories out of the charred fragments.’ -- The Hindu'Brick by brick, stone by stone, from canals to cantonments, Llewellyn-Jones masterfully reconstructs the infrastructure of empire in India. An engaging insight into a neglected area of imperial scholarship.' -- John Zubrzycki, author of The House of Jaipur‘Rosie Llewellyn-Jones should be read with attention, to get a sense of how negative perceptions can reduce, how empathy can enrich, how visual beauty can uplift, and how listlessness can destroy. It is a parable for today.’ -- The Wire'Highly readable, full of overlooked detail, Llewellyn-Jones brings British India to life.' -- Roderick Matthews, author of Peace, Poverty and Betrayal: A New History of British India‘[Dr. Llewellyn Jones’] discussion and analysis are wide ranging in topic and time, both illuminating and fair.’ -- Asian Affairs‘This beautifully researched and written volume assesses the “political architecture” the British erected in India and how it impacted both the built environment and the people who used it. It is a major contribution to cultural histories of the British Empire in India.’ -- CHOICE'This is a very readable book, richly illustrated, of interest to scholars and general readers alike.' -- Chowkidar'Offbeat and absorbing, this connects the politics, technology and aesthetics of state architecture of colonial India. With a fascinating series of studies of state buildings and superb illustrations, Llewellyn-Jones shows how the built environment of the Raj reflected the regime's view of itself and the culture of the people it ruled over.' -- Tirthankar Roy, Professor of Economic History, London School of Economics, and author of The Economic History of Colonialism'A highly ambitious book linking art, architecture and engineering with education, scientific innovation and social history. An entertaining, well-researched and original contribution to current literature. I can think of no current competition which covers as much ground.' -- Caroline Keen, author of A Judge in Madras: Sir Sidney Wadsworth and the Indian Civil Service, 1913–47'Political architecture is one of the lasting legacies of the British in South Asia. Bringing in the role of oft-forgotten engineers, architects and the Indian response to such changes, Llewellyn-Jones weaves together an engaging narrative of the construction of the visual and built environment in South Asia.' -- Yaqoob Khan Bangash, Director, Centre for Governance and Policy, ITU Lahore, and author of A Princely Affair: Accession and Integration of the Princely States of Pakistan

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Book SynopsisWinston Churchill began his career as a junior officer and war correspondent in the North West borderlands of British India, and this experience was the beginning of his long relationship with the Islamic world. Overturning the widely-accepted consensus that Churchill was indifferent to, and even contemptuous of, matters concerning the Middle East, this book unravels Churchill's nuanced understanding of the edges of the British Empire. Warren Dockter analyses the future Prime Minister's experiences of the East, including his work as Colonial Under-Secretary in the early 1900s, his relations with the Ottomans and conduct during the Dardanelles Campaign of 1915-16, his arguments with David Lloyd-George over Turkey, and his pragmatic support of Syria and Saudi Arabia during World War II. Challenging the popular depiction of Churchill as an ignorant imperialist when it came to the Middle East, Dockter suggests that his policy making was often more informed and relatively progressive when compared to the Orientalist prejudices of many of his contemporaries.Trade ReviewAn enlightening and original account of an important and neglected aspect of Churchill’s strategic and political world view. It forces us to rethink what we know about the origins of the modern Middle East. Essential reading for Churchill scholars and general students alike. -- Richard Toye, Professor of Modern History, University of ExeterWarren Dockter has written the first comprehensive account of Churchill’s lifelong and many-side engagement with the Muslim world. Combining meticulous research with insight and imagination, he restores to its rightful place a theme of crucial importance for the assessment of the great man’s character and career. -- Paul Addison, Honorary Fellow, University of EdinburghA timely, penetrating, and balanced study. The trenchant analysis it provides of encounters, perceptions, and complexities is bound to have an abiding endurance and relevance like the multifaceted figure and culture it examines. -- Professor Riad Nourallah, Director of Research, London Academy of DiplomacyA panoramic and insightful overview of Churchill’s lifelong relationship with the Muslim world which reveals it to be both more complex and more interesting than is generally portrayed. -- Allen Packwood, Director of the Churchill Archives Centre, University of CambridgeWarren Dockter's timely and important book has illuminated Churchill's relationship with the Islamic world which has previously been so misunderstood. It is necessary reading for Churchill scholars and anyone interested in the Middle East. Truly a work of monumental scholarship. -- Boris Johnson, author of The Churchill FactorTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction Early Encounters Of Oil and Ottomans Churchill : Minister of War and Air Churchill at the Colonial Office The Legacy of the Cairo Conference The Twenties and Thirties Churchill, the Middle East, and India during World War II The Postwar World Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAmericans have long been asked to support the troops and care for veterans' psychological wounds. Who, though, does this injunction serve?As acclaimed scholar Nadia Abu El-Haj argues here, in the American public's imagination, the traumatized soldier stands in for destructive wars abroad, with decisive ramifications in the post-9/11 era. Across the political spectrum the language of soldier trauma is used to discuss American warfare, producing a narrative in which traumatized soldiers are the only acknowledged casualties of war, while those killed by American firepower are largely sidelined and forgotten.In this wide-ranging and fascinating study of the meshing of medicine, science, and politics, Abu El-Haj explores the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder and the history of its medical diagnosis. While antiwar Vietnam War veterans sought to address their psychological pain even as they maintained full awareness of their guilt and responsibility for perpetrating atrocities on the killing fields of Vietnam, by the 1980s, a peculiar convergence of feminist activism against sexual violence and Reagan's right-wing "war on crime" transformed the idea of PTSD into a condition of victimhood. In so doing, the meaning of Vietnam veterans' trauma would also shift, moving away from a political space of reckoning with guilt and complicity to one that cast them as blameless victims of a hostile public upon their return home. This is how, in the post-9/11 era of the Wars on Terror, the injunction to "support our troops," came to both sustain US militarism and also shields American civilians from the reality of wars fought ostensibly in their name.In this compelling and crucial account, Nadia Abu El-Haj challenges us to think anew about the devastations of the post-9/11 era.Trade ReviewA bracing, riveting, and vitally important critique of American empire and the ideological mechanisms for normalizing permanent warfare. Few authors have considered the psychosocial and ethical instruments of imperial warfare with such clarity or looked so directly at US culpability in the War on Terror. Every single US taxpayer should read this book. -- Joseph Masco, author of The Future of FalloutIn this path-breaking book, Abu El-Haj examines changes in the understanding of combat trauma to demonstrate that psychiatry, operating in tandem with imperial interventions, helps create the political conditions necessary for the reproduction of U.S. militarism. With her finger on the pulse of American political life, she shows how perpetrators become victims, while the primary casualties of American military violence are ignored, dismissed, and forgotten. -- Lisa Wedeen, author of Authoritarian ApprehensionsTable of ContentsIntroductionPart 1: From Agent to VictimChapter 1: Psychiatry as Radical Critique: "Post Vietnam Syndrome"Chapter 2: The Politics of Victimization: Feminism, the Victims of Crime Movement, and Reconstructing the War in VietnamPart 2: Combat Trauma After 9/11Chapter 3: Soldier's Trauma, RevisitedChapter 4: The Politics of Moral InjuryPart 3: Conscripting CitizensChapter 5: Caring for MilitarismChapter 6: The (American) Civilian EpilogueAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisShortly after Japan's surrender in August 1945, a huge bonfire was built at the headquarters of Kwantung Kempeitai in Changchun, Northeast China. Hundreds of boxes of files were lost to the flames over the following days, but the unexpected arrival of Soviet soldiers prompted the Japanese to hastily bury some of them. These were unearthed by construction workers in 1953 and eventually handed over to archivists in the early 1980s. This book contains more than four hundred images of these original Japanese documents alongside English translations. They provide new insights into Japanese military activity during the occupation of China and Java during the second world war, with a focus on the following topics: The Nanjing Massacre “Comfort Women” Transfer of Prisoners to Unit 731 Forced labour Atrocities committed by Japanese troops Invasion through immigration in Northeast China Suppression of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army American and British prisoners of war

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Book SynopsisA war that has killed more than a million Iraqis was a "humanitarian intervention", the US army is a force for liberation, and the main threat to world peace is posed by Islam. These are the arguments of a host of liberal commentators, including such notable names as Christopher Hitchens, Kanan Makiya, Michael Ignatieff, Paul Berman, and Bernard-Henri Lévy. In this critical intervention, Richard Seymour unearths the history of liberal justifications for empire, showing how savage policies of conquest-including genocide and slavery-have been retailed as charitable missions. From the Cold War to the War on Terror, Seymour argues that colonialist notions of "civilization" and "progress" still shape liberal pro-war discourse, concealing the same bloody realities.In a new afterword, Seymour revisits the debates on liberal imperialism in the era of Obama and in the light of the Afghan and Iraqi debacles.Trade ReviewA powerful critique of 'humanitarian intervention' and of those liberal intellectuals who support it. * Independent *A great deal of damning material on the apologists of recent illegalities. -- Philippe Sands * Guardian *Among those who share responsibility for the carnage and chaos in the Gulf are the useful idiots who gave the war intellectual cover and attempted to lend it a liberal imprimatur. The more belligerent they sounded the more bankrupt they became; the more strident their voice the more craven their position. As the war they have supported degrades into a murderous mess, Richard Seymour expertly traces their descent from humanitarian intervention to blatant islamophobia. -- Gary YoungeAn excellent antidote to the propagandists of the crisis of our times. * Independent on Sunday *A powerful counterblast against the monstrous regiment of 'useful idiots.' * Times *Indispensable ... Seymour brilliantly uncovers the pre-history and modern reality of the so-called 'pro-war Left.' -- China Miéville[Seymour] delves into areas that are usually politely ignored, carefully uncovering liberalism and reformism's own shameful record of collaboration with mass murder ... essential reading. -- Owen Hatherley * New Statesman *We need to understand where these ideas comes from and how to fight them. This book is a major contribution to this understanding. -- Lindsey German * Socialist Review *The Liberal Defence of Murder is an important and scrupulously researched book with much to offer those who want to know why the likes of Christopher Hitchens have gone so loopy. * Morning Star *The most authoritative historical analysis of its kind ... [Seymour] displays a welcome critical engagement, meaningful intellectualism and unabashed factual analysis. * Resurgence *

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Book SynopsisMoving the debate beyond the place of tactical intelligence in counterinsurgency warfare, Confronting the Colonies considers the view from Whitehall, where the biggest decisions were made. It reveals the evolving impact of strategic intelligence upon government under- standings of, and policy responses to, insurgent threats. Confronting the Colonies demonstrates for the first time how, in the decades after World War Two, the intelligence agenda expanded to include non-state actors, insurgencies, and irregular warfare. It explores the challenges these emerging threats posed to intelligence assessment and how they were met with varying degrees of success. Such issues remain of vital importance today. By examining the relationship between intelligence and policy, Cormac provides original and revealing in- sights into government thinking in the era of decolonisation, from the origins of nationalist unrest to the projection of dwindling British power. He demonstrates how intelligence (mis-) understood the complex relationship between the Cold War, nationalism, and decolonisation; how it fuelled fierce Whitehall feuding; and how it shaped policymakers' attempts to integrate counterinsurgency into broader strategic policy.Trade Review'An intelligent, authoritative and penetrating analysis of how spycraft impacts upon strategy. Rory Cormac reveals for the first time the secret role of intelligence in the twilight wars of British counter-insurgency. This book is essential reading for all those who want to understand the hidden world of low intensity conflict.' * Professor Richard J. Aldrich, author of GCHQ *'Whilst much of the story of Cold War intelligence has been chronicled by historians, the secret battles that went on in parallel to derive and assess intelligence on Britain's colonial struggles has not been sufficiently explored. Dr Cormac has filled that gap admirably. His thoroughly researched account provides new insights into how British government and its Joint Intelligence Committee handled the painful process of decolonization and disengagement from empire.' * Sir David Omand, former UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator and JIC member *'Cormac's book explores the links between the intelligence centre in London and what was going on in the colonies. It is the first to illustrate the role that intelligence played in decision making and does so in a coherent and persuasive fashion, destroying many of the myths about Britain's colonial past and the impact of intelligence. A riveting read that should appeal to a wide audience.' * Michael Goodman, King's College London, author of Learning from the Secret Past: Cases in British Intelligence History *

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Book SynopsisFocussing on the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA), A Revolutionary History delivers a fresh perspective on the ambitions, ideologies and practices of this influential organisation, formed by Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh and inspired by transnational anti-imperial dissent. It is a new interpretation of the activities and political impact of the north Indian revolution- aries who advocated the use of political violence against the British. Kama Maclean contends that the actions of these revolutionaries had a direct impact on Congress politics and tested its policy of non- violence. In doing so she draws on visual culture studies, demonstrating the efficacy of imagery in constructing - as opposed to merely illustrating - historical narratives. Maclean analyses visual evidence alongside recently declassified government files, memoirs and interviews to elabo- rate on the complex relationships between the Congress and the HSRA, which were far less an- tagonistic than is frequently imagined.

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Book SynopsisIn the last decade an Iraqi Army and an Afghan National Army were created entirely from scratch, the founding of which was deemed to be a crucial measure for the establishment of security and the withdrawal of Western forces from Iraq and Afghanistan. Raising new armies is always problematic, especially during an insurgency, but doing so outside the sovereignty of one's own state raises questions of legality, concerns about their conduct and the risk of an over-empowered local military. The recruitment of proxies, including former insurgents, or the arming of local fighters and auxiliaries, levies and militias, may also exacerbate an internal security situation. In seeking answers to this conundrum Rob Johnson turns to history. His book sets out how recruitment of local auxiliaries was an essential component of European colonialism, and how, in the transfer of power and security at the end of that colonial era, the raising of local forces using existing Western models became the norm. He then offers a comprehensive survey of the post-colonial legacy, particularly the recent utilisation of surrogates and auxiliaries, the work of embedded training teams, and mentoring. Rob Johnson is Departmental Lecturer in the History of War, University of Oxford, and author of The Afghan Way of War: Culture and Pragmatism, A Critical History, published by Hurst.Trade Review‘Rob Johnson is becoming a familiar figure in this Journal’s reviews, and deservedly so . . . this is a well-written, almost magisterial treatment of a complex subject.’ 'This extraordinarily rich, detailed and nuanced volume should be required reading in Western militaries.''An important and highly significant book on "burden-sharing" by Western military powers through the hiring of local allies -- at once relevant for history and for current military affairs. Johnson argues forcefully that Western governments’ assumption that they can achieve their aims with airpower and local forces alone is deeply misguided.' -- Jeremy Black, Professor of History, University of Exeter'"True to Their Salt" is an ambitious "grand narrative? treatment of the nature and experience of indigenous forces recruited by Western powers during the days of empire, and more recently. Embracing a diverse range of case studies, it offers a unique overview that will make it a standard work of reference.' -- Ashley Jackson, Professor of Imperial and Military History, King’s College London; author of 'The British Empire: A Very Short Introduction''In a major work Johnson sets out a provocative and compelling case for the use of indigenous forces as a 'force multiplier' in contemporary military operations but as he admonishes, only if we understand the pull/push forces that lead men to enlist, and only if we have the cultural knowledge that will allow us to make the most of this untapped cultural capital.' -- Christopher Coker, Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science; author of Rebooting Clausewitz: ‘On War’ in the Twenty-First Century'This book should be read by anyone -- politician, general, journalist or scholar -- who thinks that the current Western approach to conflict in the Middle East is going to result in the stabilisation of the region and the strengthening of allied governments. Johnson expertly dissects how local auxiliaries, Western special forces and airstrikes will not lead to a promised land without a greater investment in understanding the host societies in which the West is trying to operate. An excellent read.' -- Mike Martin, author of 'An Intimate War: An Oral History of the Helmand Conflict'‘Densely researched and very well documented . . . provides a sharp analysis of the recruitment, deployment, and devolution of local forces in often unorthodox war contexts and security situations.’

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Book SynopsisIn February 1937, following an abortive attack by a handful of insurgents on Mussolini's High Command in Italian-occupied Ethiopia, 'repression squads' of armed Blackshirts and Fascist civilians were unleashed on the defenceless residents of Addis Ababa. In three terror-filled days and nights of arson, murder and looting, thousands of innocent and unsuspecting men, women and children were roasted alive, shot, bludgeoned, stabbed to death, or blown to pieces with hand-grenades. Meanwhile the notorious Viceroy Rodolfo Graziani, infamous for his atrocities in Libya, took the opportunity to add to the carnage by eliminating the intelligentsia and nobility of the ancient Ethiopian empire in a pogrom that swept across the land. In a richly illustrated and ground-breaking work backed up by meticulous and scholarly research, Ian Campbell reconstructs and analyses one of Fascist Italy's least known atrocities, which he estimates eliminated 19-20 per cent of the capital's population.He exposes the hitherto little known cover-up conducted at the highest levels of the British government, which enabled the facts of one of the most hideous civilian massacres of all time to be concealed, and the perpetrators to walk free.Trade Review'[A] masterly history ... Ian Campbell has performed a tremendous service by rescuing from historical neglect and European propaganda the stories of the victims of 20th-century Italy's homicidal push for greatness.' - The National; 'A masterly examination of a hideous war crime which has never been so comprehensively researched. This forensic investigation is chillingly brought to life by the vivid memories of survivors whom the author has tirelessly tracked down. Campbell has done the world a great service by so clinically exposing such brutality.' - Keith Bowers, broadcaster and author of 'Imperial Exile: Emperor Haile Selassie in Britain 1936-40'; 'A detailed and fully documented account of one of the great under-reported atrocities of the twentieth century. Campbell makes a highly important contribution in exposing this extremely brutal yet virtually unknown episode. The entirely original testimony of surviving eyewitnesses adds striking vividness to this valuable book. Genuinely original.' - Christopher Clapham, Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge and author of 'The Horn of Africa'; 'Whilst the British and French were appeasing Mussolini, his blackshirts were slaughtering thousands of Ethiopians--a massacre completely ignored by the League of Nations. 80 years later, Ian Campbell's latest oeuvre is a concisely researched, well-documented and brilliantly written tribute to those forgotten victims of barbarous Italian Fascism in Ethiopia.' - Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate PhD, historian, bestselling author and political analyst; 'Ian Campbell's book is a chilling account of one of the most terrible crimes against humanity of the twentieth century: the massacre by occupying Italians over three days in February 1937 of thousands of Ethiopian citizens in Addis Ababa. Campbell reconstructs in meticulous detail, from a wide range of sources, including many eyewitness testimonies, the initial trigger for the massacre, its various stages, the responsibilities of different groups of perpetrators, and its legacy in later memory... The result is the most comprehensive and accurate account now available in any language of the Yekatit 12 massacre.' - David Forgacs, Guido and Mariuccia Zerilli-Marimo Professor of Contemporary Italian Studies, New York University; author of 'Italy's Margins'; 'This book rounds out the trilogy that Ian Campbell has worked on for such a long period of time. The first, The Plot to Kill Graziani, was a great success; the second, The Massacre of Debre Libanos, was another research feat. The third has all the makings of a blockbuster. It is a meticulously researched, brilliantly written and abundantly illustrated book. It is a must read for all those interested in the history of Fascism globally and in the modern history of Ethiopia.' - Shiferaw Bekele, Professor of History, Addis Ababa University; 'The February 1937 massacre by Fascist Italy of thousands of defenceless Ethiopian civilians stands as the first and least known genocide of World War II. Ian Campbell spent more than twenty years conducting research on that killing field, in which countless men, women and children were wiped out, and educated Ethiopians, community leaders and notables were systematically eliminated. It is good to have this authoritative synthesis of that horrifying event between two covers at last.' - Donald N. Levine, Peter B. Ritzma Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Chicago; author of Wax and Gold: Tradition and innovation in Ethiopian Culture and Greater Ethiopia; 'Campbell's detailed research, which cuts much new ground, provides the reader with a daily, almost hourly, picture of the infamous three days, enhanced by many photographic images not previously in the public domain.' - Richard K. Pankhurst, Professor of History, Addis Ababa University; author of 'The Ethiopians: A History', and 'Sylvia Pankhurst: Counsel for Ethiopia'

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Book SynopsisWestern interventions today have much in common with the countless violent conflicts that have occurred on Europe's periphery since the conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth century. Like their predecessors, modern imperial wars are shaped especially by spatial features and by pronounced asymmetries of military organisation, resources, modes of warfare and cultures of violence between the respective parties. Today's imperial wars are essentially civil wars, in which Western powers are only one player among many. As ever, the Western military machine is proving incapable of resolving political strife through force, or of engaging opponents with no reason to offer conventional combat, who instead rely on guerrilla warfare and terrorism. And, as they always have, local populations pay the price for these shortcomings. Colonial Violence aims to offer, for the first time, a coherent explanation of the logic of violent hostilities within the context of European expansion. Walter's analysis reveals parallels between different empires and continuities spanning historical epochs. He concludes that recent Western military interventions, from Afghanistan to Mali, are not new wars, but stand in the 500-year-old tradition of transcultural violent conflict, under the specific conditions of colonialism.Trade Review'An important book that offers a clear point of view on the violence inherent to imperialism, whether Western or not. Worth considering alongside high rates of violence in recent and current non-Western warfare.' -- Jeremy Black'[Colonial Violence] provides valuable insights on how environment, technology, race, fear, logistics, economics and other factors shaped the character of colonial clashes, and why empire is still a valuable mens of understanding organised violence in the contemporary world. [This book is] ambitious and challenging [and] will be of interest to scholars working in a variety of historical subfields.' -- H-Net'With its sophisticated analysis and thorough use of the scholarly literature on its subject, this is a study that nobody interested in the subject can afford to neglect.’'It is excellent that Dierk Walter's survey of colonial conflict has been translated into English. This is military history as it should be written: conceptually broad, chronologically ambitious, and -- above all - transnational. His case for continuity -- bridging colonial conquest, decolonisation, and recent interventions -- will provoke, as it should, but that is the hallmark of an important book.' -- Sir Hew Strachan, Chichele Professor of the History of War, Oxford University'Broad canvas syntheses that put violence at the heart of the West’s engagement with the wider world have been rare -- understanding and acceptance of the significance and consequences of its violence rarer still. Walter brings enormous comparative and summary power to its study, resulting in a highly readable and necessary work. "Colonial Violence" should stand as an elegant corrective, particularly in its emphasis on the continuity of violence through to the present day.' -- Ashley Jackson, Professor of Imperial and Military History, King’s College London; author of 'The British Empire: A Very Short Introduction''"Colonial Violence" offers a comprehensive, scholarly interpretation and synthesis of the pattern of military violence associated with imperialism since around 1600. Based on a wide and deep familiarity with imperial military campaigns and asymmetric conflict, its conclusions regarding the weakness of the imperial powers relative to their indigenous foes, the continuities in imperial campaigns over time and place, and the root cause of excessive violence in the imperial situation rather than in ideology, will surprise and challenge many readers. Well written and clearly organised, this study will doubtless become a standard account of imperial military violence.' -- Isabel Virginia Hull, John Stambaugh Professor of History, Cornell University'Walter, with forensic skill, comprehensively analyses the causes, courses, and consequences of colonial wars and violence. This startlingly good study should be read and thought over by all with an interest in Europe’s global imperial military reach over the past five hundred years.' -- David Killingray, Emeritus Professor, Goldsmiths London ‘An important book that offers a clear point of view on the violence inherent to imperialism, whether Western or not. Worth considering alongside high rates of violence in recent and current non-Western warfare.’ — -- Jeremy Black, Professor of History, University of Exeter

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Book SynopsisThe storm came on the night of 31 October. It was a full moon, and the tides were at their peak; the great rivers of eastern Bengal were flowing high and fast to the sea. In the early hours the inhabitants of the coast and islands were overtaken by an immense wave from the Bay of Bengal -- a wall of water that reached a height of 40 feet in some places. The wave swept away everything in its path, drowning around 215,000 people. At least another 100,000 died in the cholera epidemic and famine that followed. It was the worst calamity of its kind in recorded history. Such events are often described as 'natural disasters'. Kingsbury turns that interpretation on its head, showing that the cyclone of 1876 was not simply a 'natural' event, but one shaped by all-too-human patterns of exploitation and inequality -- by divisions within Bengali society, and the enormous disparities of political and economic power that characterised British rule on the subcontinent. With Bangladesh facing rising sea levels and stronger, more frequent storms, there is every reason to revisit this terrible calamity. An Imperial Disaster is troubling but essential reading: history for an age of climate change.Trade Review'A book which should be widely read... It demystifies the official disclaimer that these are 'natural calamities' for which the administration is not responsible, exposing how the British colonial administration's policies in nineteenth century Bengal destroyed the coastal environment that led to the devastating cyclone of 1876.' -- Sumanta Banerjee'Kingsbury’s book holds lessons from the past for a climate-changed world … meticulously researched … this thoroughly engaging book should be required reading for historians of South Asia, environmental historians and scholars of disaster studies. Written with an acute sensitivity and historically rich, it is a story of the present as much as a story of the past.’ -- Economic & Political Weekly'Kingsbury's book is a searing indictment of the British Raj' -- The Journal of Asian Studies'In the age of the Anthropocene, An Imperial Disaster complicates the distinctions usually made between natural and human disasters. This meticulously researched and lucidly presented account of the late nineteenth century Bengal cyclone, will be as relevant to historians of the Indian subcontinent as it will be to scholars thinking about Hurricane Katrina or the Australian wildfire.' -- Rochona Majumdar'A well-written, very readable book, based on many official records and newspapers. It is full of telling details and anecdotes and emphasises the official failures, neglect, misinformation, damaging ideology, and personal ambition of colonial rule during the 1870s.' -- Peter Robb'Narrated in beautiful prose and based on scrupulous scholarship, with an unerring eye for the apposite quotation, 'An Imperial Disaster' is microhistory at its best. It lays bare the imperial and human context of a natural disaster and reveals, equally shockingly, how no substantive lessons were learnt from it.' -- Dr Chandrika Kaul'Lucidly argued and meticulously referenced... the story of colonial apathy, greedy landlords and the ruthless laissez-faire policy of the state is vividly rendered against a background where thousands perished due to drowning and disease. The study is an important contribution to the economic and environmental history of India.' -- Vinita Damodaran

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Book SynopsisMuch of the recent surge in writing about the practice of nonviolent forms of resistance has focused on movements that occurred after the end of the Second World War, many of which have been extremely successful. Although the fact that such a method of resistance was developed in its modern form by Indians is acknowledged in this writing, there has not until now been an authoritative history of the role of Indians in the evolution of the phenomenon. Celebrated historian David Hardiman shows that while nonviolence is associated above all with the towering figure of Mahatma Gandhi, ‘passive resistance’ was already being practised by nationalists in British-ruled India, though there was no principled commitment to nonviolence as such. It was Gandhi, first in South Africa and then in India, who evolved a technique that he called ‘satyagraha’. His endeavours saw ‘nonviolence’ forged as both a new word in the English language, and a new political concept. This book conveys in vivid detail exactly what nonviolence entailed, and the formidable difficulties that the pioneers of such resistance encountered in the years 1905-19.Trade Review'Hardiman looks at the tangled web around the idea of ahimsaor non-violence both as a religious creed and its crossing over to the political domain at a time when organised mass mobilisation had just begun in India.''Hardiman demolishes the myth that Gandhian nonviolence succeeded in India because the colonial state observed the law. . . . This is a book every university should have in its library.'‘Provides new insights into India’s nationalist struggle during the first two decades of the 20th century . . . this book is required reading for those who wish to understand not only the central role Gandhi played in the Indian nationalist struggle but also the cooperation and contestation required of mass movements involving different social groups.’'Hardiman locates Gandhi in the little-known history of earlier Indian experiments with nonviolence, showing nonviolent resistance to be both creative and problematic, ambiguous and difficult, depending on the contexts in which it was practiced. A refreshing and illuminating approach.' -- Judith M. Brown'Hardiman brings his fierce capacity for scholarly focus to the formative period of India's freedom struggle. A vital and illuminating study of building strategy and a mass base, the honing of the practices of resistance, and the construction of a whole philosophy that has come to be called "nonviolence".' -- Akeel Bilgrami'An excellent contribution to the literature on nonviolent resistance.' -- April Carter'A valuable contribution to our understanding of the contested nature of nonviolence in India before the better-known Salt March. An important read for anyone who is interested in putting civil resistance in its historical context.' -- Erica Chenoweth

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Book SynopsisThe period between the two World Wars were troubling years for colonial empire. Individuals and organizations called for major reforms and an end to white supremacy and colonial rule, contributing first to local unrest and protest and then to anticolonial activity not only in Africa but the United States and Europe as well. In this compelling history, Jonathan Derrick recounts the opposition to British and French rule practised both by Africans living on the continent and by European anticolonialists and members of the Black Diaspora. He covers campaigns waged by an early incarnation of the ANC and other groups in South Africa who fought against legal and other aspects of white minority rule. He also analyses the Kikuyu protests against the settler regime in Kenya; Marcus Garvey's African American movement and its role in sparking interest in Africa; the Etoile Nord Africaine, formed mainly by Algerians in France, that called for the independence of French North Africa; protests led by European critics against forced labor in Kenya and French Equatorial Africa; and the activity of small militant groups like the Ligue de Defense de la Race Negre (LDRN) in France and George Padmore's International African Service Bureau (IASB) in Britain. Derrick also examines the role of the Comintern and Western Communist parties that were opposed to Western colonialism and ready to support militant action against it. He shows that, although colonial rulers greatly feared the specter of Communism in Africa, actual Communist activity was in fact quite small. The onset of the Second World War pushed colonial issues to the background, but as Derrick argues, in the long term the anticolonialists of the interwar era helped pave the way for later decolonisation.Trade ReviewA richly detailed, well-researched study of African political activism between the two World Wars ... an important contribution to an under-explored period in African history. Derrick presents a study that is valuable for both its breadth of information and the arguments it raises for the role of Africa in global anti-imperialism during the first half of the twentieth century. -- Benjamin Talton, International Journal of African History StudiesThis is an impressive and scholarly synthesis of a huge amount of historical data that succeeds in presenting a strong narrative of African agitation against colonial rule at the height of European imperialism. As such, this project makes a novel contribution to knowledge. -- Dr Robert Shilliam, Oxford University

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Book SynopsisThis important study introduces the history and people of West Papua, tracing the origins of the international conflict surrounding their struggle for self-determination following the Second World War. Based on three decades of exhaustive research and focusing particular attention on the sham referendum of 1969 - which Indonesia dubbed 'The Act of Free Choice', an election rigged to legitimize Indonesian control over West Papua - Droogleever highlights the continuing impact of this injustice on Indonesia's most underdeveloped and poverty-stricken province.Trade Review"Nowhere else can one find a fuller or more creditable account." * International Institute for Asian Studies Newsletter *"it is a book for politicians, historians, legal experts and, above all, for those who want to know about the weight of the weak in the events of the modern world. " * Inside Indonesia *“There is always merit in setting the record straight, no matter how much time has passed. For the Indonesian province of Papua, it has been a long and bloody 36-year wait. The Papuans have refused to accept the ‘Act of Free Choice’ by which they supposedly voted to join Indonesia in 1969. [This book], commissioned by the Dutch government, the former colonial ruler in Indonesia, unequivocally vindicates their stance.” * The Sydney Morning Herald *Table of ContentsPreface Illustrations Map: Netherlands New Guinea c. 1960 1 A Distant Corner of the Netherlands East Indies The Dutch East India Company (DEIC), Tidore and New Guinea The eastern frontier of the Netherlands East Indies Establishing control and exploring the interior Administrative policies up to the Second World War The Protestant and Catholic Missions The ‘mise en valeur’: business and colonists Looking back 2 The Shock of War West New Guinea during the Second World War The way back New Guinea under the Japanese occupation The restoration of government under Van Eechoud Echoes of the revolution 3 New Guinea as a Bargaining Tool Indonesia becomes independent The nationalists take the helm Political relations in the Netherlands The federal response Linggadjati; talks and clashes A poker game between Bandung, Yogya and The Hague Claims on New Guinea The Republicans’ wishes Malino and the Moluccan Commonwealth The Indo-European option and the Papuan cause Passing the Papuans from player to player Dutch moves East Indonesian aspirations Republican reactions Two Dutch pickets New Guinea and the Decree on the Government of Indonesia during the Period of Transition The removal of Tidoran home rule on New Guinea 4 Separation from Indonesia Minister Van Maarseveen steps into the limelight The covert hand of Hollandia The Round Table Conference Players from the side-lines Arguments, circumstances and motives 5 Locking Horns The Netherlands and Indonesia in the ‘status-quo’ year New Guinea in cold storage The Supomo mission Ali Sastroamidjojo’s offensive The Geneva Conference 6 Direct Rule from The Hague A new system of government Regaining momentum under Van Waardenburg Two Calvinist comrades in power For the sake of the Papuans’ education Changed conditions in Protestant circles The arrival of the American and Australian missions A new place for the Roman Catholics Education Language policy The hesitations of big business A development project under the colonial flag Territorial extension of the administration 7 The Dispute in an International Perspective The hounds are loose The superpowers and the place of the United Nations Consultations with Australia American guarantees An arms race at the equator The points of departure The Indonesian military build-up from 1958 onward The Karel Doorman’s odyssey 8 The Turning Tide in The Hague and Washington The crumbling home front De Quay takes office The first steps on the path to internationalization Minister Luns and the General Assembly of 1960 Tunku Abdul Rahman's mediation attempt Bright boys in Washington Further commotion on the home front The conception of the Luns plan The Luns plan in the General Assembly of 1961 9 The Metamorphoses of the Luns Plan The Dutch Cabinet’s definition of its position Talking under pressure The military situation American diplomatic assistance The dispute about the preconditions Washington’s ‘knock on the head’ Kennedy nails his colours to the mast Ambassador Bunker’s plan Back to Middleburg The New York Agreement The Indonesian approach Van Roijen and Malik get down to business The making of the New York Agreement The last hurdles 10 Democratization Under Bot and Platteel New Guinea; reactions of the government and the population The democratization of the administration Town and Regional Councils The New Guinea Council Forming Parties 11 Papua Blues The New Guinea Council and the political parties The forming of the National Committee: Flag and Anthem The Luns Plan in the New Guinea Council Bitter travel experiences Jitters in New Guinea The political stance of the Papuans in 1962 Contacts with the Eastern neighbours Contacts with African countries Members of the New Guinea Council visit The Hague A proclamation of independence? The final months under the red-white-and-blue 12 Under Jakarta’s Thumb The entry of the UNTEA Under one roof with the UNTEA and Indonesia Indonesia as temporary administrator Build-up to the plebiscite Between Delft, Manokwari and New York 13 The First Phase of the Act of Free Choice Preliminary manoeuvres The task of the United Nations The appointment of Ortiz Sanz Defining positions in The Hague, Jakarta and Washington Ortiz Sanz’s first steps Interim consultations in The Hague and New York The further development of the Indonesian plans Papuans in action Resistance Diplomacy 14 The Second Phase of the Act of Free Choice Luns, Udink and Malik to Rome The composition of the consultative councils Self-determination in practice Reporting to the United Nations Looking back in the Netherlands Conclusion Appendix Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBritish imperialism was almost unparalleled in its historical and geographical reach, leaving a legacy of entrenched social transformation in nations and cultures in every part of the globe. Colonial annexation and government were based on an all-encompassing system that integrated and controlled political, economic, social and ethnic relations, and required a similar annexation and control of natural resources and nature itself. Colonial ideologies were expressed not only in the progressive exploitation of nature but also in the emerging discourses of conservation. At the start of the 21st century, the conservation of nature is of undiminished importance in post-colonial societies, yet the legacy of colonial thinking endures. What should conservation look like today, and what (indeed, whose) ideas should it be based upon? Decolonizing Nature explores the influence of the colonial legacy on contemporary conservation and on ideas about the relationships between people, polities and nature in countries and cultures that were once part of the British Empire. It locates the historical development of the theory and practice of conservation - at both the periphery and the centre - firmly within the context of this legacy, and considers its significance today. It highlights the present and future challenges to conservationists of contemporary global neo-colonialism The contributors to this volume include both academics and conservation practitioners. They provide wide-ranging and insightful perspectives on the need for, and practical ways to achieve new forms of informed ethical engagement between people and nature.Trade Review'Prepare to have your comfortable assumptions challenged.' Bulletin of the British Ecological Society 'This is an important book which argues conservationists to understand and move beyond the colonial baggage still influencing their work.' ECOS 'This book provides readers with a greater perspective on the history and significance of worldwide conservation policies that guide world leaders today when issues of sustainability are before them' Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and library volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden. Current Books on Gardening and Botany, June 2004. 'Decolonizing Nature presents current and future directions for conservation planning in the developed and developing worlds.' Brian H. King, University of Colorado, Boulder. Geographical Reviews.Table of ContentsIntroduction * Nature and the Colonial Mind * Decolonizing Relationships with Nature * The 'Wild', the Market, and the Native: Indigenous People Face New Forms of Global Colonization * Sharing South African National Parks: Community Land and Conservation in a Democratic South Africa * Devolving the Expropriation of Nature: The 'Devolution' of Wildlife Management in Southern Africa * Decolonizing Highland Conservation * Responding to Place in a Post-colonial Era: Reflections on the Australian Experience * When Nature Won't Stay Still: Conservation, Equilibrium and Control * Beyond Preservation: The Challenge of Ecological Restoration * Feet to the Ground in Storied Landscapes: Disrupting the Colonial Legacy with a Poetic Politics * Conclusions * Index

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Book SynopsisFrom 1955 onwards, when the anti-colonial movement split into competing ethnic sections, conflict between African and Indian Guyanese has held Guyana in a deadlock which has undermined all attempts at social and economic development. At its height exploding into civil war in the 1960s, the constant state of tension has led to rigged elections, authoritarian government, economic collapse and driven hundreds of thousands of Guyanese to emigrate. Even in the present, when for the first time for decades, free and fair elections can be held, winning and losing further divides the nation.Judaman Seecoomar's book offers an analysis of how Guyana has arrived at this impasse and suggests a process that could lead out of it. He identifies a history of authoritarian government where those who control the state (whether colonial governments in the past, those who seized power through rigged elections, or those who gained it by virtue of having the support of the ethnic majority), have responded to Guyana's cultural pluralism by suppressing or ignoring the interests of the minority. He argues that the failure to satisfy the human needs of all Guyana's ethnic groups is the root cause of conflict and only their satisfaction offers a means of harnessing all the nation's energies for development. He identifies the crucial needs as being those that relate to security, the recognition of cultural identity, participation in decision-making and the fair distribution of social rewards.The book looks to the developing practice of conflict resolution through strategies of collaborative problem solving. It argues that such a process would offer Guyana the means of finding constitutional and institutional arrangements acceptable to all ethnic groups. It provides both an account of the theoretical frameworks for such an approach and case studies of conflict resolution in action in Northern Ireland and in the Oslo talks between Israelis and Palestinians. It documents the initial attempts by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to broker talks between the main Guyanese political parties.In a world where internal conflict in multi-ethnic states is the major source of regional instability, this is a timely book.Judaman Seecoomar was born July 15 1932; he died March 26 2006. He had recently completed a PhD on inter-racial conflict in Guyana.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an understanding of the kind of work that representations of African dictatorship do. It explores the contradictions that arise from postcolonial critics' simultaneous investment in aesthetics and in politics.Table of ContentsIntroduction: African Dictators and Postcolonial Critics 1. Two Readings of Henri Lopes's Le Pleurer-rire 2. The Truth about Amin' 3. Achille Mbembe and the Disorder of Discourse 4. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE 2018. Chrissie Docherty returns to the southern Africa of her childhood and tracks down Evelyn Fielding, the woman at the centre of an explosive scandal involving a traditional colonial officer and a gifted black African artist. Together, the two women uncover the secrets that shattered a remote expatriate outpost in the Zambian bush in the 1970s. Switching deftly between today and the recent past, and set against a background of tense post-colonial race relations, political turmoil and witchcraft, `Looking for Evelyn’ powerfully evokes the very special colours, sounds and smells of Africa.Trade Review`If you’re looking for a holiday book to transport you to Southern Africa, this is it.’ Scottish Daily Mail; `A moving, rich read that brings Africa to life.’ Sunday Mirror; `This year’s summer read…’ the National; “You can see, taste and feel the dusty red roads of the South African bush in this rich, evocative exploration of love, jealousy and betrayal in post-colonial Zambia in the 1970s.” – Jackie Copleton; “A haunting and intriguing tale about forbidden love against a backdrop of political turmoil.” Daily Record

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Book SynopsisCharlie Chaplin is on vacation in Asia in 1936 when Cambodians are challenging colonial exploitation. Chaplin must choose: lend his celebrity status to the anti-colonial cause or stay silent. Fictionalised around real events, this is a story about how an embittered Chaplin abandons his silent Tramp in order to find his own voice.

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Book SynopsisMahmud Modibbo Tukur's work challenges fundamental assumptions and conclusions about European colonialism in Africa, especially British colonialism in northern Nigeria. Whereas others have presented the thesis of a welcome reception of the imposition of British colonialism by the people, the study has found physical resistance and tremendous hostility towards that imposition; and, contrary to the "pacification" and minimal violence argued by some scholars, the study has exposed the violent and bloody nature of that occupation. Rather than the single story of "Indirect rule", or "abolishing slavery" and lifting the burden of precolonial taxation which others have argued, this book has shown that British officials were very much in evidence, imposed numerous and heavier taxes collected with great efficiency and ruthlessness, and ignored the health and welfare of the people in famines and health epidemics which ravaged parts of northern Nigeria during the period. British economic and social policies, such as blocking access to western education for the masses in most parts of northern Nigeria, did not bring about development but its antithesis of retrogression and stagnation during the period under study. Tukur's analysis of official colonial records and sources constitutes a significant contribution to the literature on colonialism in Africa and to understanding the complexity of the Nigerian situation today.

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Book SynopsisMahmud Modibbo Tukur's work challenges fundamental assumptions and conclusions about European colonialism in Africa, especially British colonialism in northern Nigeria. Whereas others have presented the thesis of a welcome reception of the imposition of British colonialism by the people, the study has found physical resistance and tremendous hostility towards that imposition; and, contrary to the "pacification" and minimal violence argued by some scholars, the study has exposed the violent and bloody nature of that occupation. Rather than the single story of "Indirect rule", or "abolishing slavery" and lifting the burden of precolonial taxation which others have argued, this book has shown that British officials were very much in evidence, imposed numerous and heavier taxes collected with great efficiency and ruthlessness, and ignored the health and welfare of the people in famines and health epidemics which ravaged parts of northern Nigeria during the period. British economic and social policies, such as blocking access to western education for the masses in most parts of northern Nigeria, did not bring about development but its antithesis of retrogression and stagnation during the period under study. Tukur's analysis of official colonial records and sources constitutes a significant contribution to the literature on colonialism in Africa and to understanding the complexity of the Nigerian situation today.With an Introduction by Prof. Michael J. Watts, University of California, Berkeley, USA.Trade Review"In this densely detailed and interpretatively nuanced study, Mahmud Modibbo Tukur lays bare the very foundations of the colonial state in what is now northern Nigeria. This is a must read for anyone wanting to understand the foundations of contemporary Nigeria and how we came to be what we are." - Prof. Abdul Raufu Mustapha, University of Oxford, UK.

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Book SynopsisSwitzerland has been globally connected and entangled with colonies established by the seafaring European nations in Africa, the Americas, and Asia since the 16th century. Colonial Switzerland's Global Entanglements offers a timely overview of this highly topical matter, placing a wide range of aspects in historical context and addressing as well questions of colonial continuities.Contributions by distinguished scholars and experts from various disciplines investigate questions such as the involvement of Swiss companies in the trade with enslaved people, Swiss mercenaries in the service of colonial powers, the colonial legacy of the country's missionary societies, and the research and collection of artefacts by Swiss scientists in former colonies. Light is shed also on the involvement of anthropological institutes at the universities of Zurich and Geneva in scientific racism.Conceived as an illustrated reader, this volume is both an invitation and a stimulus to explore and to engage critically with Switzerland's history of global interdependence.

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