The Decline and Fall Of the British Empire, 1781-1997
by Brendon, Piers
A magisterial work of narrative history, hailed in Britain as "the best one-volume account of the British Empire" and "an outstanding book" (The Times Literary Supplement).After the American Revolution, the British Empire appeared to be doomed. But over the next 150 years it grew to become the greatest and most diverse empire the world has ever seen--ranging from Canada to Australia to China, India, and Egypt--seven times larger than the Roman Empire at its apogee. Britannia ruled the waves and a quarter of the earth.Yet it was also a fundamentally weak empire, as Piers Brendon shows in this vivid and sweeping chronicle. Run from a tiny island base, the British Empire operated on a shoestring with the help of local elites. It enshrined a belief in freedom that would fatally undermine its authority. Spread too thin, and facing wars, economic crises, and domestic discord, the empire would vanish almost as quickly as it appeared.Within a generation, the mighty structure collapsed, sometimes amid bloodshed. This rapid demise left unfinished business in Rhodesia, the Falklands, and Hong Kong. It left an array of dependencies and a ghost of an empire overshadowed by a rising America. Above all, it left a contested legacy: at best, a sporting spirit, a legal code, and a near-universal language; at worst, failed states and internecine strife.Brendon tells this story with brio and brilliance; covering a vast canvas, he fills it with vivid firsthand accounts of life in the colonies and intimate portraits of the sometimes eccentric British officials who administered them. It is all here--from brief lives to telling anecdotes to comic episodes to symbolic moments. Panoramic in scope and riveting in detail, this is narrative history at its finest.From the Hardcover edition.
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The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997
by Brendon, Piers
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London, UK: Alfred A Knopf, 2008. 2nd Impression. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. xxii, 794pp, two sections of black and white photographic plates. Quarter bound in cream paper over blue paper-covered boards, copper titles on spine. Lightly bumped spine ends. Outer text block edge untrimmed. Pictorial endpapers. Internally neat, clean, bright and… Read more about this item Item Price
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The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997
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Knopf, 2008. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. First Edition, First Printing. Not price-clipped ($37.50 price intact). Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. Octavo. White cloth over blue boards stamped in red. Book is very good. Sharp corners and spine straight. Binding tight and pages crisp. "Discard" stamped on flyleaf and first free page. Dust jacket is very… Read more about this item Item Price
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The Decline and Fall of the British Empire 1781 - 1997
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London: Vintage Books, 2008. Softcover, [xxii], 793 pages. Very Good+ condition. Size 7.75"x5". "After the American Revolution, the British Empire appeared to be doomed. Yet it grew to become the greatest, most diverse empire the world had seen. Then, within a generation, the mighty structure collapsed, a rapid demise that left an array of dependencies and a contested legacy: at… Read more about this item Item Price
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Vintage Books. Used - Good. Pencil/Underlining. Ships from UK in 48 hours or less (usually same day). Your purchase helps support Sri Lankan Children's Charity 'The Rainbow Centre'. Shows some signs of wear but in good overall condition. 100% money back guarantee. We are a world class secondhand bookstore based in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and specialize in high… Read more about this item Item Price
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New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. 2008. First American Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. 0307268292 . Color map endpapers; Large 8vo 9" - 10" tall; 816 pages; 2008 Alfred A. Knopf. Stout HC/DJ 1st American edition and printing with complete 1-10 number line. Very tightly bound, unread copy in crisp edged and uniformly… Read more about this item Item Price
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The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997
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New York: Alfred A. Knopf; A Borzoi Book, 2008. xxii, 786 pages, [24] pages of plates, illustrations, colour maps; 25 cm. Near fine. Tight, clean copy. Front free endpaper scuffed (from small sticker removal). Stated First American Edition. Fine DJ. OVERSIZE! No priority/international, except by arrangement. "After the American Revolution, the British Empire appeared doomed. But over the next 150… Read more about this item Item Price
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The Decline and Fall of the British Empire 1781-1997
by Piers Brendon
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Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. First American Edition. Hardcover. Very Good Condition/Good. 786 pages. Thick book; faint shelf wear and discoloring. Tight binding; very good shape. The jacket has light discoloring and wear. Quantity Available: 1. Category: History; ISBN/EAN: 9780307268297. Inventory No: 212674. . 9780307268297 Item Price
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The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997
by Brendon, Piers
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The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997
by Piers Brendon
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