Over several centuries, England imposed itself by force and by treaty on the other three nations of the Hiberno-British Isles to form its own English Empire. For much of its life, the United Kingdom has only endured out of shared interest in overseas territorial expansion--a British Empire built on slavery. In his new history, Victor Bulmer-Thomas charts the slow rise and rapid decline of English imperialism at home, from the fourteenth century to the present. When independence movements in the colonies began challenging the British Empire, a Commonwealth was constructed to hold together both former imperial possessions--including the Irish Free State-- and the four nations of the internal empire. The Commonwealth was later supplanted by the European Economic Community, but Europe's potential as a long-term source of cohesion for the UK was dashed when the English voted to leave the EU in 2016, dragging the whole UK with them. With Empire, Commonwealth and Europe all gone, British unity is more fragile than ever. Facing the prospect of an independent Scotland, a reunited Ireland and an increasingly autonomous Wales, England may yet have to acknowledge its forgotten history as an aggressive imperial force on Britain's own, often unwilling, soil.
Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Dimensions: 216 x 138 mm
'The story of how England dominated the (geographical) British Isles is as reprehensible as that of the later British Empire. This lucid and coherent account of that imperialism is invaluable, not least because it's not over. Its management may yet see the disintegration of the UK. This book is a warning.'
'Bulmer-Thomas has written a timely and seminal work, explaining not only what English imperialism is, but also that the four nations of the UK were once all nation states, and that they may once again become states. Compelling and convincing, a masterful account.'
'"Internal Empire" is to be warmly welcomed. Demonstrating the value of considering English imperialism over the length of British history, it also contextualises and helps us understand today's important political issues and the very future of the UK as a unitary state.'
'A timely and immensely readable book. It explores 1,000 years of English imperialism, a history less of voluntary union and more of assimilation and incorporation set against England's hegemony. Given current contexts, debate about the Union's survival needs proper historic location--this book provides it.'