Customer Reviews

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire

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4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A book with so ambitious a title as "The Rise and Fall of the British Empire" holds much promise for the reader. Visions of 1000+ page tomes come to mind. After all, there is a lot of time and history involved with so monumental a subject. But James' account of what was arguably the greatest cultural, economic, and social force the world has ever known--the British empire--delivers solidly on that promise with clarity and brevity.

I won't mince words. The book is short for so massive a subject. But James executes it well. Some passages and accounts are agonizingly brief, of course, but the purpose of the book is not to delve deeply into the minutiae of the Empire's history. It provides a fairly elementary overview of the important events that unfolded to shape the Empire, painting an elegant background picture of the sheer scope and impact of imperialism.

Yes, pivotal situations, political turmoil, and wars are often glossed over, replaced by "big picture" statements or sweeping extrapolations and conclusions. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. The book's focus is decidely on the causes and effects of various events, and their place in the vast course of history that the Empire occupied. Events are covered in enough detail to allow James to continue his "big picture" story, but not in enough to detail to satiate an interested scholar.

Thus, the book is a fantastic background for anybody who is either completely unversed in English imperial history, or for readers wanting solid background knowledge to accomodate further, more detailed readings. But, as a background, this book is incredibly detailed. The book's accounts span some 400 years of British history, in which the nation evolved from a fairly mediocre European island power into one of the most dynamic and influential economic and military machines that the world has ever known. The people, the events, and the stories that contributed to this rise to power are all brought to live with stunning truth through James' writing. The book is divided into clear, understandable chapters that are well-written and researched.

James does not force didactic revisionist theories on us. He presents a clear, eloquent, interesting, and objective account of the British Empire, and leaves the reader with a deep and poigant understanding of the implications of the Empire's history.

This is an absolute must for not only those new to British history, but for the learned scholar who seeks a well-rounded, intriguing look into the vast span of Britain's imperial history.

Lawrence James takes a straight factual narrative of the empire, neither going the neo-imperialist apologist route nor the leftist postmodernist road, equally emphasizing its achievements and darker moments. He does have an interesting style in introducing some of the chapters, and that is by describing the paintings that symbolized Britain at a certain point. He also uses poems, popular songs, and novels of the time to describe the sentiments at the time. At 629 pages, covering from 1600 up to 1993, it's quite a hefty read and may require a few sittings, but for a one volume work of the largest empire to last for a long time, it's effective.

James's focus is primarily economic and political, with the sociological aspects on the British left and anti-colonialists given quite coverage beginning in the 19th century. But the story's the same. England's empire was created for her need of goods from the New World, but really took off during its series of global wars against France and its allies beginning with the Nine Years War (1689-97) up to the American War For Independence (1775-1783). The reason was twofold, to prevent France from gaining a foothold in the New World and to outcompete France and Spain in its maritime trade network. And England won because of its banking system, which allowed for deficit spending, and its constitutional monarchy with Parliament having the powers of the purse, established with the Glorious Revolution that unseated James II.

The competition/antagonism with France over trade in Africa and India was refired in the 19th century, with Britain using its superior navy to establish its commercial hegemony. Yet there was another mission, and that was to civilize, to eliminate heathen practices (such as sati (widows immolating themselves on their late husband's pyre) in India, and introduce education and other British institutions in those faraway places. But that couldn't have been done with British work ethic, integrity, and a "dedication to the general welfare of mankind." Britain came out on top because of "native inventiveness and application of its people", "Britain's manufacturing industry", and "naval supremacy." Imperialism in itself is bad regardless of the country, as it leads to racism compared to the Germans and French, but the British were better than those countries given that they had a government that was the envy of all nations, although they retaliated in force only when attacked, e.g. Gordon, the Sepoy Uprising.

The rise of the leftist intellectuals who became more egalitarian and anti-imperialist couldn't have happened without the 1832 Parliamentary Reform Act, which gave the vote to the middle class, leading to a more democratic Britain. Many were Liberals or Radicals, and they contributed to the eventual fall of the Empire. Counter to that were the more conservative Tories, imperialists to the core, and who espoused jingoism, "a clamorous, pugnacious and intestinally inspired patriotism," something briefly resurrected during the Falklands War.

It was only when the empire was declining after the heavy loss of life in WW1, that the empire began to tighten its fist in a desperate attempt to cling onto its holdings. The massacre at Amristar (1919), the callous way it treated Middle Easterners, was the empire's dark side. This desperation can be seen with the establishment of Empire Day and the indoctrination of schoolchildren to look up to the empire, aided by pulp hero adventures by imperialist ex-war correspondent G.A. Henty, who cranked out imperialist propaganda to brainwash the youth. But being bankrupt by WW2, rising nationalist movements led by Gandhi, Nasser, and Nkrumah, and being dependent on US-influenced anti-colonialist foreign policy and aid, led to the empire's collapse into the Commonwealth, "a surrogate empire."

Each section is titled with start and end dates. However, in some sections, there are topics that cover the same time period, so although it looks like one is going into a time loop, keep in mind that many things were going on. For example, James covers the Irish situation from 1919-1939, and then in the next chapter, covers Egypt from 1919-1942, the Middle East during that same time period, and then India. Then he covers British social and economic dynamics in separate chapters.

Conclusion: "Few empires have equipped their subjects with the intellectial wherewithal to overthrow their rulers. None has been survived by so much affection and moral respect."

I just knocked off "Rise and Fall of the British Empire" and was impressed. James tackles a big subject-this was the empire on which the sun never set-and gives as good a one-volume narritive as can probably be given. It was interesting to see the Revolution from the other side of the pond. One can get a good grasp of the Imperial mindset, which makes you think that Britain was the most reluctant imperial power in history. There were two things that I wish he would have addressed more. The first would be more about Guyana. The second would be why did the British never seriously consider closer political ties with the white dominions-especially at an early stage-with an eye on eventual intigration with Great Britain, something like how territories in the United States eventually could become full states? I inferred that the British were just happy to get excess population off the islands, and that by the time they desired closer political bonds, the dominions had already started to carve out their own identities. But other than that, I think that this was a great book, I couldn't put it down.

James' history of the British Empire occupies a precarious position. It is too short to provide the sort of depth required by a scholarly history and his attempt to record the 400 year rise and fall of the Empire leaves little room for the sorts of anecdotes and character development one finds in the best popular histories. He does manage to give the reader a rough sketch of the history of the Empire. It covers the basics: where the British possessions were along with how and when they were acquired(and lost). But because of the massive scale of the Empire there is little room for much else. Large parts of this book read like a list, but when James quits listing events and analyzes them he is both enjoyable and informative. He also does an excellent job integrating popular culture into his text. He includes quotations from plays, poems, and advertisements. James' writing is clear, lucid and enjoyable to read. However I gave it three stars because the book lacks focus. It is nice to read a history in which the author attempts, and largely succeeds, in being unbiased but James' aloof stance from the history makes it quite bland. Another major weakness of the work is that while he provides an adequate explanation for why the British were so successful in building thier Empire(technology and naval power) he offers little insight into the far more interesting question, why the Empire fell apart. Maybe the answer to that question is too obvious, but if it is he should have at least given a paragraph explaining it to dolts like me who read his book. He mentions several times that the fall was inevitable, and hints that it was the exposure to the British traditions of liberty and self-government that led to the fall, but he really skirts the issue of. Other helpful additions would have been a timeline and a biographical index of major figures. The book is well researched and provides a lot of information, but seems a bit pointless. I recommend it for someone wanting to know the basics about the Empire, but for anyone with more than an elementary understanding of the Empire it will not suffice.

Although Lawrence James's opinions leak out a little as he deals with recent decades, this book covers the 400 years of British pre-eminence in the world with great discipline. It concentrates on what the British did (and why) without confusing the reader with unnecessary histories of other countries.

Emerging from the 650 pages of this book is the truth of how the Empire came about, and why it was inevitable and necessary that it should be dissolved. The legacy of the British Empire to the world in terms of culture, government and social structure are patiently chronicled.

The insights into British public opinion throughout the period of Empire by the analysis of newspapers, novels (and childrens' books) and movies were very interesting.

This is the sort of book that can be read selectively and as such would be an ideal text book for education in schools around the world, or at least in the countries that were directly effected by the subject matter.

The book has the capacity to make one want to talk at length about the rich topic of the Empire. Consequently I must stop (!), but I would encourage anyone who wants to know how the world arrived at its current form, to read this book.

It is hard to imagine a seven hundred-plus page book being too short, but here it is. This is one of those rare lengthy tomes that keeps your attention and, which is even rarer, whets your appetite for more. Reading Mr. James' book opens up a wide vista of other books to read: more detailed history of India, the South Pacific, the Spanish Main, etc.

Mr. James has a well developed talent for a style that is informative and entertaining. The chapters are numerous and fairly short and each one covers a different topic. There is quite a lot of referencing back and forth, but again Mr. James does a good job of keeping the threads of his Cat's Craddle from unravelling.

It is very clear the Mr. James has a great deal of knowledge about this subject but he does not become pedantic nor try to impress us with this knowledge. He did make me run for the dictionary once or twice, but that is always a pleasure because it means I've learnt a new word!

Though it seems funny to say, this book is too brief. It is a great introduction to the topic and the book will leave you wanting for more and, more importantly, it points you in the right direction. If you have any Anglophile in you, read this book.

Gibbon wrote, in his classic Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire "It has been calculated by the ablest politicians that no State, without becoming soon exhausted, can maintain above the hundredth part of its members in arms and idleness". How true, Britain maintained only 17,000 army and 18,000 navy personnel in the peace prior to the American revolution. Which is why the Empire was so spectacular. For with just a few numbers of men (which expanded during wartimes) Britain was able to initiate, maintain, expand and control, almost all of the world trading centers from China to the USA. Hardly a country in the world today, and there are over 200, was not impacted, good or bad by this sudden expansion of a tiny nation. Bought about by its ability to design, build and crew the finest ships. Control the sea and you controlled the world, until the United States invented aircraft and the freedom of all individuals and the US took over Britains role.

To write of how this was done is a feat which cannot be acheived in a single volume (Gibbon took 6 volumes and 71 chapters).
So dont expect Gibbon. However, Lawrence James has achieved the best and most impartial history of the Empire that I have read. It is easy to read, impartial, pithy and full of irony which may sadly be missed by non native English speakers.

There are two books here - a documented history of the Empire and then between the lines, a second book about science, human nature and cause and effect that is a lesson to every living human. Which is why this book is an important read for everyone.

This book really explained a lot of questions I had about the Empire. As a lover of Victorian England (mostly the Empire), I couldn't really understand why the Empire fell so fast. Why did they give small countries their independence; why not just hang on to them? This book explains all the above AND the mind frame of the English mind as well as how divided the public was over the Empire.

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire by Dr. Lawrence James is a 704 page survey of British colonial rule from the 1600s culminating in the 1980s victory of Britain over Argentina in the Faklands War. James tells his story well in readable prose, first person quotes and songs and ditties of the era and areas covered.
The story begins with the conquering of North America by England during the eighteenth century.The English victory over France in the Seven Years War 1756-63 kept the 13 colonies firmly under the control of Great Britian. Following the defeat in the American Revolution in 1782 the English turned their attention to the conquering of India.
During the long years when England's navy ruled the seas in the name of Britannia the Empire covered over 1/4 of the globe. After the defeat of Napoleon in the French wars from 1793-1815 the British reached an apogee of colonial power in such diverse continents as Asia, Afica, Australia, New Zealand, countless small islands and Canada. Today many of these colonies are members of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Millions of colonials fought bravely for the Union Jack in World Wars I and II. Major colonial wars included the Indian Revolt of 1857; the defeat of the Sudanese in 1898 at Omdurman and the Boer War in South Africa fought between 1899-1902.
The British were often haughty and racially prejudiced against brown and black natives of the lands they ruled. They could be cruel and grasping in their desire to bring the riches of the empire back home. They could also be exemplary in their governance of foreign lands instilling democratic government and civilization to other lands which came under the rulership of the British flag. The record of the British is mixed. Their legacy of Empire is the wide usage of the English language, democracy and a sense of decency and fair play.
James book is a good introduction to the British Empire and major players in the colonial adventure such as Robert Clive of India; Chinese Gordon of Khartoum; David Livingston the African missionary, Ganndhi who fought so hard of Indian independence in 1947: T.E. Lawrence of Arabia, General Allenby of Egypt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Margaret Thatcher and other luminaries.
James is good at looking at the Empire warts and all. His book is illustrated and contains maps which add to the learning experience. His book is not as detailed or critical as Pier's Brendon's "The Decline and Fall of the British Empire." but is is more readable to Americans who may not be familiar with British history. This is an excellent survey of the British Empire which covers a tremendous amount of history in the many nations ruled from Whitehall. The sun now has set on the British empire but the English nation is still an important cultural and democratic force for freedom in the 21st century.

Since my only knowledge of the British Empire around the globe came from standard high school history classes on European colonization of the Americas and the American Revolution [okay, maybe the Kinks' "Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)" played a part too], I was glad to find this book at a local flea market. James does an admirable job of capturing Britain's rise as a global power beginning in the 16th century and how it lost its empire either willingly or unwillingly in the 20th century following two world wars. Some of the chapters tend to get a tad dry and melt into each other. For example, James's recap of the post-WWII political jockeying that led to the widespread loss of England's African and Asian territories seemed hurried and confusing. James also lacked the detail I seeked on how England actually negotiated control over places like India, Egypt and states around the Persian Gulf and Arabian peninsula with the consent of local tribal leaders. What fascinated me the most and left me wanting to discover additional information was how the home front considered colonialism and empire. James briefly describes how the British actually believed that it was Divine Providence that gave them the task of civilizing "savage" cultures throughout the Empire and creating British-style societies within each of its colonies. He mentions the tension between those who considered the colonies as much a part of the Empire as a London suburb versus those who saw the colonies as little more than money-maker for the Crown.
This book probably could be expanded into a 12-volume set that would look great on a bookshelf. In spite of a few minor shortcomings, James objectively compresses 300 years of history into this very concise and readable book.