The Decline and Fall of the British Empire
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The Decline and Fall of the British Empire by Piers Brendon
No empire has been larger or more diverse than the British Empire.At its apogee in the 1930s, 42 million Britons governed 500 million foreign subjects.Britannia ruled the waves and a quarter of the earth's surface was painted red on the map.Where Britain's writ did not run directly, its influence, sustained by matchless industrial and commercial sinews, was often paramount. Yet no empire (except the Russian) disappeared more swiftly.Within a generation this mighty structure sank almost without trace, leaving behind a scatter of sea-girt dependencies and a ghost of empire, the British Commonwealth of nations.Equally, it can be claimed that Britain bequeathed its former colonies economic foundations, a cultural legacy, a sporting spirit, a legal code and a language more ubiquitous than Latin ever was. In a book of unparalleled scholarship, Piers Brendon presents the story of the decline and eclipse of British might, the major historical event in the closing stages of the second millennium.Full of vivid particulars, brief lives, telling anecdotes, comic episodes, symbolic moments and illustrative vignettes, The Decline and Fall of the British Empire evokes remote places as well as distant times. From the war for American independence, the end of the Raj, the 'scram out of Africa' and the unfinished business of the Falklands and Hong Kong to the new 'informal' empire of the United States, this is a comprehensive and engaging account.
Piers Brendon is the author of several books, including biographies of Churchill and Eisenhower, the bestselling Eminent Edwardians and the acclaimed Dark Valley.He also writes for television and contributes frequently to the national press.He is a Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge and Keeper of the Churchill Archives.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780224062220 |
| ISBN 10 | 0224062220 |
| Title | The Decline and Fall of the British Empire |
| Author | Piers Brendon |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Vintage Publishing |
| Year published | 2007-10-18 |
| Number of pages | 816 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |