One fine day

Matthew Parker

£12.99

In stock

On Saturday 29 September 1923, the Palestine Mandate became law and the British Empire reached what would prove to be its maximum territorial extent, covering a scarcely credible quarter of the world’s land mass, containing 460 million people. But the tide was beginning to turn. This book is a new way of looking at the British Empire. It immerses the reader in the contemporary moment, focusing on particular people and stories from that day, gleaned from newspapers, letters, diaries, official documents, magazines, films and novels: from a remote Pacific Island facing the removal of its entire soil, across Australia, Burma, India and Kenya to London and the West Indies.

ISBN: 9780349142364 Category:

Description

‘Breathtaking… vital and important. A wonderful read’ PETER FRANKOPAN

‘Marvellous… escapes the inane, balance-sheet view of Empire and sees its full complexity’ SATHNAM SANGHERA

‘Excellent… his mastery of detail is impeccable’ DOMINIC SANDBROOK, Sunday Times

‘Extraordinary… [brings] the world of a century ago to fresh, vivid life’ ALEX VON TUNZELMANN

THE STORY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE AT ITS MAXIMUM TERRITORIAL EXTENT

On Saturday 29 September 1923, the Palestine Mandate became law and the British Empire now covered a scarcely credible quarter of the world’s land mass, containing 460 million people. It was the largest empire the world had ever seen. But it was beset by debt and doubts.

This book is a new way of looking at the British Empire. It immerses the reader in the contemporary moment, focusing on particular people and stories from that day, gleaned from newspapers, letters, diaries, official documents, magazines, films and novels: from a remote Pacific island facing the removal of its entire soil, across Australia, Burma, India and Kenya to London and the West Indies.

In some ways, the issues of a hundred years ago are with us still: debates around cultural and ethnic identity in a globalised world; how to manage multi-ethnic political entities; racism; the divisive co-opting of religion for political purposes; the dangers of ignorance. In others, it is totally alien. What remains extraordinary is the Empire’s ability to reveal the most compelling human stories. Never before has there been a book which contains such a wide spread of vivid experiences from both colonised and coloniser: from the grandest governors to the humblest migrants, policemen and nurses.

Additional information

Weight 0.5 kg
Dimensions 19.6 × 12.6 × 4.8 cm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

608

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

909.0971241 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K

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