The Lion's Share: Short History of British Imperialism 1850-1995 (3rd Edition) [Paperback]

Bernard Porter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0582089433 | ISBN-13: 978-0582089433 | Edition: 3

On its twentieth anniversary, here is a new edition of this leading general history of British imperialism, from its Victorian heyday to present times. For the Third Edition Bernard Porter has revised and updated the full text. As before, he combines a lively narrative of events with detailed analysis, challenging more conventional interpretations of the progress of imperialism - he argues that the empire both aggravated and obscured a deep-seated malaise in the British economy. For the new edition he has added a concluding section on the legacy of empire. In its revised form it remains as Historical Studies described it, ' the best synoptic view yet presented of the Empire since the coming of the New Imperialism'.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'As for Dr Porter's study, this reviewer found it one of the most captivating pieces he had read for a long time: his book abounds in wit, is studded with brief but telling phrases, and reveals an unerring eye for the relevant fact and apposite quotation'. Paul Kennedy, "The Historical Journal" 'a most valuable key to modern British colonial history. From this gripping and lucid exposition, we may gather an understanding not only of the initial intricacies of colonial problems...but of their alarming legacies.' Gerard Douds, "History Today" 'an extremely well-written, cleverly constructed book' Andrew Porter, "Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History"

From the Back Cover

'As for Dr Porter's study, this reviewer found it one of the most captivating pieces he had read for a long time: his book abounds in wit, is studded with brief but telling phrases, and reveals an unerring eye for the relevant fact and apposite quotation'.

So wrote Paul Kennedy, reviewing the original 1976 text of The Lion's Share in the Historical Journal. The book scored an instant success, and rapidly established itself as the leading general history of British imperialism from its Victorian heyday to present times. An extended Second Edition appeared in 1984. Now, in time to celebrate its twentieth anniversary, Bernard Porter has taken the opportunity of a complete typographical reset to revise and update the full text for the first time. He has also added a wholly new concluding section, on the legacy of empire.

As before, he combines a lively narrative of events with a number of broad analytical themes that challenge more conventional interpretations of the progress of British imperialism. He sees it not as a symptom of Britain's strength in the world, but of her decline; and he argues that the empire both aggravated and obscured a deep-seated malaise in the British economy. Britain, he claims, was less in control of her empire than controlled by it, her freedom of action continually compromised by her need to hold on to the empire, until at last she was unable to do even that.

This splendid new Third Edition - revitalised by a decade of new scholarship, previously unavailable archival material, and the fresh perspectives that changing international events bring to our understanding of the past - is fully up-to-date again, while losing nothing of its original zest and vigour.

'a good book written in a very readable style which manages to be both scholarly and entertaining and which will do useful service as a textbook for a long time.' P.J.Cain, HISTORY
'the best synoptic view yet presented of the empire since the coming of the New Imperialism' Deryck Schreuder, HISTORICAL STUDIES

'a most valuable key to modern British colonial history. From this gripping and lucid exposition, we may gather an understanding not only of the initial intricacies of colonial problems...but of their alarming legacies.' Gerard Douds, HISTORY TODAY
'an extremely well-written, cleverly constructed book'
Andrew Porter, JOURNAL OF IMPERIALL AND COMMONWEALTH HISTORY
'The book is stil the best short study of its subject...Some will doubtless treat it as a textbook: and it is indeed full of accurate information, telling phrases and aptly-deployed quaotations, all presented in a very lively and readable manner. In fact, it is a clear, coherent and well substantiated interpretation...'
Iain R. Smith (of the Second Edition in the same journal)

BERNARD PORTER is Professor of Modern History, and Head of Department, at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Longman; 3 edition (August 24, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582089433
• ISBN-13: 978-0582089433
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,726,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Big subject is well compressed!, December 5, 2000

By 

Kim Ha Woong "puxley" (Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lion's Share: Short History of British Imperialism 1850-1995 (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

British imperialism is too big a subject for a 400 odd page book. But Bernard Porter compressed it into this small book, which looks successful to me. This book would be very helpful to those who would study modern history from now on. But it would be also helpful to those who already have some knowledge about modern history in that the author closely examined the relationship between British Imperialism and British Economy. Because my country Korea was once a victim of Japanese Imperialism, I never doubted before that imperialism is just a method of red-in-tooth-and-claw capitalism. Now I learned that things are not that simple. The author says late 19th-century British Imperialism was both capitalist and anti-capitalist at one and the same time, which broadened my scope of understanding. Though imperialism contributed to British economic decline, it also protected its citizens from red-in-tooth-and-claw capitalism.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent survey and a great read., June 27, 2000

By 

John Andrew Miller (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lion's Share: Short History of British Imperialism 1850-1995 (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

I have read more than a few books about the British Empire, and this is one of the best. The genre's more readable books, like James Morris's Pax Britannica trilogy and Denis Judd's Empire, tend to be too episodic for a good academic survey. Bernard Porter's The Lion's Share, however, presents a comprehensive, linear narrative that still manages to be consistently readable. I return to this book frequently for both reference and leisure-reading. My only complaint is that the recent edition's cover looks too much like a textbook's, and will probably discourage bookstore browsers from discovering its pleasures.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Account of the "British Empire" With Lessons for Our Time, November 17, 2008

By 

Gregory M. Wasson (Pinole, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Lion's Share (4th Edition) (Paperback)

I would strongly recommend "The Lion's Share" by Bernard Porter. Extremely informative and highly readable, Porter explores the nature of the "British Empire" during the last three centuries. Porter takes the unconventional view that the actual acquisition of colonial territory by Great Britain, particularly in the 19th century, was not a reflection of its ascendancy as a world power, but rather evidence of its decline as it faced increasing competition for trade in Africa and Asia by other Western nations, particularly Germany, France, and Belgium.

Porter calls Great Britain a "reluctant" imperialist. Its Foreign Office consistently opposed the acquisition of colonial territory in favor of free trade without the attachments and entanglements of colonial rule. Only when the choice was between colonizing a trading partner or losing the ability to conduct that trade altogether because of competition with other Western powers did the British choose to plant the Union Jack abroad. The outcome of assuming direct colonial authority over a large portion of the world map resulted in unwanted armed conflict between Britain and its "dependencies," particularly in India, and a general resentment of the British throughout the world.

The parallels between the history of the British Empire and recent attempts by the United States to "spread democracy" by the threat and use of armed force, rather than pursuing diplomacy to build relationships that respect the sovereignty and culture of other countries, particularly in the Middle East, are striking. We can learn much from Mr. Porter's analysis of the experience of the British overseas as we attempt to restore the image of the United States as a respected member of the community of nations rather than that of the neighborhood bully attempting to impose its will without regard for world opinion.

Porter doesn't neglect descriptive accounts of such major events during the period of the empire as the Great Rebellion in India in the 1850's. Both stirring and thoughtful, this is book that is suitable for both the general reader and for scholars of the period.