Empire, State, and Society

EMPIRE, STATE, AND SOCIETY This book captures the broad-sweep of modern British history. Bronstein and Harris s narrative is distinguished by its comprehensive coverage, readability, and sure judgment. It is an excellent book. James Epstein, Vanderbilt University This is a well-structured and gracefully written textbook that undergraduates at American universities and colleges should find highly accessible. It integrates recent scholarly trends into a compelling narrative that brings together metropolitan and imperial themes. These themes are illuminated by well-chosen anecdotes that make them come alive. Bronstein and Harris have provided an excellent introduction to modern Britain and its Empire, and one that deserves a wide readership. Phil Harling, University of Kentucky In the nineteenth century, Great Britain was a world-recognized superpower. Tremendous economic growth fostered a daunting formal empire, global networks of trade and investment, and a formidable military. By the late twentieth century this position of dominance had eroded significantly under the stress of two world wars, rising nationalist movements, shifting geopolitics, and the transformation to a post-industrial economy. As Britain adjusts to her new place in the post-colonial world, Empire, State, and Society assesses the external and internal forces behind these transformations. The authors draw on the most recent scholarship to give due importance to social, economic, and cultural changes as well as politics and international diplomacy. Divided into chapters both chronologically and thematically, Empire, State, and Society enables detailed exploration of issues such as race, gender, religion, and the environment. In doing so, the book provides an accessible, comprehensive, and balanced introduction to British history.

EMPIRE, STATE, AND SOCIETY"This book captures the broad-sweep of modern British history. Bronstein and Harris's narrative is distinguished by its comprehensive coverage, readability, and sure judgment. It is an excellent book."James Epstein, Vanderbilt University"This is a well-structured and gracefully written textbook that undergraduates at American universities and colleges should find highly accessible. It integrates recent scholarly trends into a compelling narrative that brings together metropolitan and imperial themes. These themes are illuminated by well-chosen anecdotes that make them come alive. Bronstein and Harris have provided an excellent introduction to modern Britain and its Empire, and one that deserves a wide readership."Phil Harling, University of KentuckyIn the nineteenth century, Great Britain was a world-recognized superpower. Tremendous economic growth fostered a daunting formal empire, global networks of trade and investment, and a formidable military. By the late twentieth century this position of dominance had eroded significantly under the stress of two world wars, rising nationalist movements, shifting geopolitics, and the transformation to a post-industrial economy. As Britain adjusts to her new place in the post-colonial world, Empire, State, and Society assesses the external and internal forces behind these transformations.The authors draw on the most recent scholarship to give due importance to social, economic, and cultural changes as well as politics and international diplomacy. Divided into chapters both chronologically and thematically, Empire, State, and Society enables detailed exploration of issues such as race, gender, religion, and the environment. In doing so, the book provides an accessible, comprehensive, and balanced introduction to British history.

List of Illustrations viiAcknowledgments ixIntroduction 11 Britain to 1830 42 Universal Suffrage and No Surrender: Politics at Home and Abroad, 1830-1867 303 Dark Satanic Mills? Economic and Social Change, 1830-1867 524 Utilitarians, Evangelicals, and Empire: Intellectual and Cultural Developments, 1830-1867 705 Democracy and Empire: Politics, 1867-1910 916 The Decline of the Aristocracy: Economic and Social Change, 1867-1910 1107 Faith and Doubt? Cultural Change, 1867-1910 1258 In Flanders Fields: Britain and the Great War, 1910-1918 1479 Nationalism and Depression: Politics, Economics, and Social Change, 1919-1939 16810 Culture and Ideas between the Wars, 1919-1939 19111 London Burning: Britain in the Second World War 20612 Winds of Change: Politics, 1945-1979 22213 Building a Welfare State: Society and the Economy, 1945-1979 24214 Meet the Beatles: Cultural and Intellectual Developments, 1945-1979 25915 From Rule Britannia to Cool Britannia: Politics, 1979-2007 27716 Whither Britain? Society and Culture since 1979 296Appendix: Reigns and Ministries since 1830 312Bibliography 315Index 330