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

The Oxford History of the British Empire is a major new assessment of the Empire in the light of recent scholarship and the progressive opening of historical records. From the founding of colonies in North America and the West Indies in the seventeenth century to the reversion of Hong Kong to China at the end of the twentieth, British imperialism was a catalyst for far-reaching change. The Oxford History of the British Empire as a comprehensivestudy allows us to understand the end of Empire in relation to its beginnings, the meaning of British imperialism for the ruled as well as the rulers, and the significance of the British Empire as a theme in world history. Volume IV considers many aspects of the 'imperial experience' in the final years of the British Empire, culminating in the mid-century's rapid processes of decolonization. It seeks to understand the men who managed the empire, their priorities and vision, and the mechanisms of control and connection which held the empire together. There are chapters on imperial centres, on the geographical 'periphery' of empire, and on all its connecting mechanisms, including institutions and the flow ofpeople, money, goods, and services. The volume also explores the experience of 'imperial subjects' - in terms of culture, politics, and economics; an experience which culminated in the growth of vibrant, often new, national identities and movements and, ultimately, new nation-states. It concludes with theprocesses of decolonization which reshaped the political map of the late twentieth-century world.

Oxford University Press has recently published a wide variety of historical titles in paperback. Pride of place must go to the five volume Oxford History of the British Empire written under the general editorship of Professor William Roger Lewis and published in hardback in 1998. The five volumes, describe the history and effect of the Empire on world history. The scholars who contributed and the volumes' individual editors all deserve high praise for thie massive undertaking., Impressive ... a neat balance of thematic and area-specific chapters, all of which are exceptionally well written ... will serve as a vital work of reference for any library concerned with the history of the empire., The Oxford History of the British Empire has been, arguably, the most important contribution to British imperial studies in recent decades. Volume 4, on the 20th Century, is the highly impressive conclusion of the narrative volumes ... Reasonably priced, this is an indispensable resource., Review from previous edition The Oxford History of the British Empire has been, arguably, the most important contribution to British imperial studies in recent decades. Volume 4, on the 20th Century, is the highly impressive conclusion of the narrative volumes ... Reasonably priced, this is an indispensable resource.

Judith Brown is Beit Professor of Commonwealth History, and Fellow of Balliol College, at Oxford University. Wm. Roger Louis is Kerr Professor of English History and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin.