"Imperial Vanities is an adventure story in the high tradition, ranging from the upper Nile to Ceylon, Egypt and the slave markets of the Balkans. Wilful, profoundly eccentric and driven by the sort of idealism we no longer consider an heroic virtue, the lives of these men combine to make a tragi-comic commentary on the most widely-held conviction of their times: that God himself was an Englishman. 'Better a ball in the brain than to flicker out unheeded', Gordon wrote in his journal. Written with Thompson's masterly touch, this is history at its best."--BOOK JACKET.
General Gordon's death in the Sudan marks the height of imperial cultural fever. Even in the late nineteen seventies, the themes of Khartoum were still the basis for children's stories, comic books, and depictions of masculinity.Imperial Culture in the Sudan seeks to examine the cultural impact of Sudan on the popular image of the British empire – why were these colonial administrators characterized as 'adventurers'? Why was Sudan and the story of General Gordon so popular? The author argues it coincided with the mass production of popular journalism, the height of Jingoism as a cultural product and therefore a study of Sudan's experience tells us a lot about the British Empire – how it was made, consumed and remembered.
Imperial Boredom offers a radical reconsideration of the British Empire during its heyday in the nineteenth century. Challenging the long-established view that the empire was about adventure and excitement, with heroic men and intrepid women eagerly spreading commerce and civilization around the globe, this thoroughly researched, engagingly written, and lavishly illustrated account suggests instead that boredom was central to the experience of empire. Combining individual stories of pain and perseverance with broader analysis, Professor Auerbach considers what it was actually like to sail to Australia, to serve as a soldier in South Africa, or to accompany a colonial official to the hill stations of India. He reveals that for numerous men and women, from explorers to governors, tourists to settlers, the Victorian Empire was dull and disappointing. Drawing on diaries, letters, memoirs, and travelogues, Imperial Boredom demonstrates that all across the empire, men and women found the landscapes monotonous, the physical and psychological distance from home debilitating, the routines of everyday life wearisome, and their work tedious and unfulfilling. The empire s early years may have been about wonder and marvel, but the Victorian Empire was a far less exciting project. Many books about the British Empire focus on what happened; this book concentrates on how people felt.
The British Empire, especially in its late-Victorian heyday, spanned the world and linked a quarter of world's population to Britain through a shared, official, allegiance to the Crown. In the long history of empires the British imperial state was among the most powerful ever and a major global player. "A New A-Z of Empire" catches the current burgeoning interest in empires and covers over 400 years of British imperial history from the founding of the East India Company in 1600, to the 'First' and 'Second' British Empires, the time of 'High Empire' following the War of American Independence, the unprecedented expansion of the 'Scramble' for Africa, the development of Dominion Status and the history - often turbulent - of decolonization and the growth of Commonwealth. The 400-plus entries include a rich panoply of individuals, territories, treaties, politics, the law, diplomacy, war and peace, administration, business and commerce, exploration, literature, art, literature and scholarship. Readers will find a mine of fascinating factual information, in concise form, with expert historical assessment, cross-referencing between entries and suggestions for further reading. The valuable time-line is essential to pick through the long period of complex history and links to key web resources are provided. "A New A-Z of Empire" is an indispensable tool for the scholar and student, and for the general reader interested in the rich history of the British Empire: a story of obscure foundation leading to dominance over a huge swathe of the globe, now represented by mere pinpricks on the world map.
