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Title: The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire by P. J. Marshall ISBN: 0-521-00254-0 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Well illustrated
Comment: The British Empire is a subject of particular personal interest, since I was born under the Union Jack in pre-1997 Hong Kong, and I'm still living in a former British Commonwealth country - a citizen of Canada. This book is full of photos, many in color. But it is low on maps - a dreadful error considering the subject matter.
The Opium Wars are only briefly mentioned. Surprising because of the importance of Hong Kong in the British Empire.
China, the chief victim of the Opium Wars, may have been the chief beneficiary of the British Empire. Opening the country by force and humiliation has resulted in war and revolution, which are now unleashing the energies of the people. China fell behind Europe since about 1500. Now, thanks to the British Empire, China is beginning to close the gap.
Had China not been opened up, its people would have fallen behind even further - and living at African levels of development. So while in the short-term the British Empire devastated China, in the long run it helped China change and modernize (rather like what the Americans did to Japan since Commodore Perry).
However, nothing would be more foolish than to think that the Chinese should feel gratitude to the British for setting this gigantic process in motion. It would be like asking the Jews to be thankful to Hitler for the Holocaust - even though similarly Hitler's crimes were a direct reason why the Jews have a homeland for the first time in two thousand years. Truly, the disgusting crimes committed by the British against the Chinese cannot be easily surpassed by anything else in human history - with the possible exception of the Holocaust itself. Maybe this is one reason why this is not discussed in this book - it's too sensitive. The Opium Wars are the moral abyss of the British Empire.
China has now recovered to the point where it may one day challenge America for world leadership. Britain, on the other hand, which led the world in trade and output in late 19th century, is now in sixth place for world trade and seventh place for GDP - and falling.
Ironically, the 19th century British Imperialists planning their conquests from London had no idea their work would have such unintended consequences just over a century later - a short time in world history terms.
This book does not address the issue whether Northern Ireland and Scotland are properly speaking part of the British Empire or part of Britain itself. Technically, the latter is true. But Scotland only became part of the UK in 1707 - arguably a key date in the history of the British Empire - and independent tendencies are already gathering pace there. Time will tell whether the UK itself will survive the dismemberment of the British Empire. My guess is, the lure of membership in the EU will drive the Scots and the English apart.
Overall this is a very good book, written by experts and the standards are high. The British Empire should be of interest to many since such hotspots as Bermuda, Gibraltar and the Falklands are still in British possession. Americans too may find the subject fascinating - since Colonial America was once part of the British Empire. Thanks to the British Empire, and even more to the fact that America is #1 in the world, English has become the universal language of our planet.
Rating: 3
Summary: A bit of a disappointment
Comment: After having read the Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (a quite good read), I was expecting something similar with the British Empire tome. However, I am sad to say, I was a little disappointed. A book dealing with three centuries of history is unlikely to be "complete", but the style is very patchy with significant areas omitted altogether. Saddest of all is the lack of any detailed analysis of events during and post-Suez, other than a cursory look at the realignment to the EU.
Rating: 5
Summary: Correction of yesterday's review.
Comment: In the review I made yesterday for this book, I now notice that I made a tying mistake. The 'of' in the first sentence should read 'or'. The correct version of the review is as follows. 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.
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Title: Burmese Days: A Novel (Harbrace Paperbound Library, Hpl 62) by George Orwell ISBN: 0156148501 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: May, 1974 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: On Empire, Liberty, and Reform: Speeches and Letters by Edmund Burke, David Bromwich ISBN: 0300081472 Publisher: Yale Univ Pr Pub. Date: April, 2000 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: The Essential Gandhi : An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas by Mahatma Gandhi, Louis Fischer ISBN: 1400030501 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 12 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave by Mary Prince, Sara Salih ISBN: 0140437495 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 30 January, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Facing Mount Kenya by Jomo Kenyatta ISBN: 0394702107 Publisher: Vintage Books Pub. Date: 12 February, 1962 List Price(USD): $12.45 |
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