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The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV: The Twentieth Century

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The Oxford History of the British Empire edited by WM Roger Louis is an excellent compilation of top scholarship related to all aspects of the British Empire. Various authors contributed well written chapters to create an understanding of the Empire by century. Volume four is an understanding of the twentieth century and looks at the fall of the empire. The Empires performance in World War 1 and 2 are assessed in the first half and the myth of the unified empire is explored. The British Empire in World War 2 was able to harness the power of all the countries to move as a unified force but the myth of British invincibility was shattered. The promises of freedom that the allies fought for was transformed into a reality as the Dominions and Commonwealth argued for independence after the war. Some areas were granted independence very quickly after the war and British trusteeship proved unable to combat the flaring ethnic and racial tensions appearing around the world. In Asia the myth of British invincibility was destroyed by the fall of Singapore and proved that Britain as a paper tiger in the east. The empire went into severe decline with the Suez Crises and Britain's miscalculations of their position as a world power. The book does an excellent job of tying together a wide range of sources and giving a great perspective on the British Empire as a whole. It covers the areas of the globe relevant to the Empire and is very focused on the information presented. If you want to learn about any aspect of the Empire in the 20th century this is a great place to start.