Description
Book SynopsisFrom the eighteenth century until the 1950s the British Empire was the biggest political entity in the world. The territories forming this empire ranged from tiny islands to vast segments of the world''s major continental land masses. The British Empire left its mark on the world in a multitude of ways, many of them permanent. In this Very Short Introduction, Ashley Jackson introduces and defines the British Empire, reviewing its historiography by answering a series of key questions: What was the British Empire, and what were its main constituent parts? What were the phases of imperial expansion and contraction and the general causes of expansion and contraction? How was the Empire ruled? What were its economic effects? What were the cultural implications of empire, in Britain and its colonies? What was life like for people living under imperial rule? What are the legacies of the British Empire and how should we view its place in world history?ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introduct
Trade ReviewProfessor Jackson has crafted a wide-ranging yet remarkably short introduction that successfully condenses recent scholarship without overwhelming the non-expert. * N.C. Fleming, University of Worcester, Political Studies Review *
Jackson's pithy survey will be a welcome guide for anyone wanting to explore the wider picture without drowning in the literature. * BBC History magazine *
Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. What was the British Empire? ; 2. The British Empire: An empire among empires ; 3. Motives of imperial expansion and themes in imperial expansion ; 4. Writing about the British Empire ; 5. Legacies and audits of the British Empire
