6th Edition
The Lion's Share A History of British Imperialism 1850 to the Present
Updated to incorporate a substantial new epilogue considering Brexit and its ‘imperial’ implications, the sixth edition of The Lion’s Share remains an essential introduction to British imperialism from its Victorian heyday to the present.
Well-known for its vigorous and readable style, this book presents a broad narrative of events and explores a number of general themes, challenging more conventional and popular interpretations of British imperialism, as well as the simplistic ‘for’ and ‘against’ arguments put forward in today’s ‘history wars’. Bernard Porter sees imperialism as a symptom not of Britain's strength in the world, but of her decline, and he argues that the empire itself both aggravated and obscured deep-seated malaise in the British economy. This sixth edition includes a final epilogue that engages with what Brexit means for British Imperial History, and whether it represents an extension of or final conclusion to Britain’s Imperial Career. In so doing, the book offers readers a thorough understanding of the history of British imperialism and its heritage, extending right into the present day.
Supported by maps, images and an updated chronology, The Lion’s Share is the perfect resource for both students and those interested in British and Imperial History from the Victorian era to the modern day.
1. Introduction
2. An empire in all but name: the mid-nineteenth century
3. Shifts and expedients: 1857–75
4. Conquests forced on us: 1875–90
5. Struggles for existence: 1890
6. A limited area of heather alight: 1890–1905
7. An essential compromise: 1905–14
8. Everything becomes fluid: 1914–20
9. Difficult times: 1920–39
10. Moving quickly: 1939–70
11. A sudden shift: 1970–95
12. Coming out of the closet: circa 2000
13. After-image
14. Brexit and the Empire
Biography
Bernard Porter is Emeritus Professor of Modern History at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. He has also taught at the Universities of Cambridge and Hull, and (as Visiting Professor) at Yale, Sydney and Copenhagen Universities. He is the author of ten books and many articles on a range of subjects, including British imperial history, the history of political refugees in Britain, secret policing, British attitudes to Europe, and Victorian architecture. His The Absent-Minded Imperialists (2004) won an American literary prize. He has also contributed to the Guardian, the London Review of Books, the Times Literary Supplement, and History Today.
