Farewell the Trumpets: An Imperial Retreat

This is a fine ending to what is possibly my favorite series of books, Jan Morris' outstanding "Pax Britannica Trilogy." Although I suppose the book could be read in isolation, it will be greatly enhanced by having read the first two in the series, so if you haven't read them, stop now and go check out "Heaven's Command: An Imperial Progress." Okay. If you're reading on, I'll assume you've read the first two books. The third is more of the same: a similar structure, with subdivided chapters, and the book itself divided into three sections: Part One, THE GRAND ILLUSION: 1897-1918; Part Two, THE PURPOSE FALTERS: 1918-1939; and Part Three, FAREWELL THE TRUMPETS: 1939-1965. The chapters, as in the earlier books, showcase illuminating episodes in the Victorian British Empire: battles, personages, advances in technology, attitudes, etc. In this book, some of the highlights are the Boer War, the invasion of Tibet, Gallipoli, the R101 airship disaster, the move to Irish independence, and the end of the Raj in India. The book is excellent and highly recommended, though I think it pales a bit compared to its predecessors. Part of that is inevitable, due to the subject matter: imperial retreat is bound to be a more subdued affair compared to the excitements of imperial expansion. It is a bit sad, having journeyed with this country through its imperial prime, to see it all evaporating so quickly -- even as Morris makes us well aware of the injustness and cruelties of imperialism that made its demise a net good for the world. Still, one can feel for the confusion and dislocation of a people as their world collapses around them. Morris' writing remains strong and vivid in this book, but here too I think it is a bit more slack than in the previous entries -- there is a bit too much of the purple prose and embellishment that Morris would sometimes be criticized for in her later career. This is especially troubling as the book moves into territory more concrete and familiar to the modern reader: the World Wars, Winston Churchill, etc. Still, there are still many chapters that pack a tremendous punch, and rank among some of the best writing I've ever encountered. Still and all, it's an excellent book and I'd encourage anyone to read it. There are thrilling stories here -- as well as the most delightful footnote I've ever read (you'll know it when you see it). Give it a try -- you won't be disappointed.

let this trilogy illuminate the process we now encounter as a nation. Not only do we support the still powerful vestiges of BRitish Imperialism in Iraq and elsewhere, but we are also now on the ireversible path of overextension and blind arrogant self-destruction. Read this real trilogy and weep for our own future, from which none shall save us, despite all the on-going Chinese investment which funds their own industrialization. Let this trilogy and the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire teach us that all things do come to an end, there is nothing new under the sun, and that we must prepare for a rather weakened and darkened future, despite our belief in our own imperial rhetoric.

This is, in my opinion, how an history book should be written. Jan Morris takes you through the last years of the victorian empire in a way no author has done before. She will transport you from South Africa to Iran, from Bombay to Dublin, with her unique style she will picture the historical events as you were seeing them happening before your eyes. She is particularly good at outlining personalities. You will feel like you know Lawrence of Arabia or Churchill personally, after you read about them in Jan Morris' book. Finally a book about the victorian empire that is not a simple sterile list of dates, places and warship names, finally a book that takes its time to go through the less investigated aspects of an age, giving you interesting and detailed account of how people lived, how soldiers felt about a battle and so on. I recommend this book to anybody who is interested in the history of colonies and victorian empire.

Even if you haven't read the other two volumes in the Pax Britannica trilogy, Farewell the Trumpets is a must-buy. It's worth it just to read the brilliant eulogy for Winston Churchill, where in one chapter Morris does better job of capturing this man and his place in history than lesser authors could do in a whole volume.My recommendation is to take your time and savor this book. Like Heaven's Command and Pax Britannica, Farewell the Trumpets is episodic in its presentation, each chapter a self-contained nugget, so that you can enjoy dipping into it frequently.

I just completed the final volume of James Morris' trilogy. The writing is superb. Although not as good as volume one (Heaven's Command), this book is well worth keeping. As usual; my only quibble is that there are no pictures in the Harcourt set that I have. That takes away a star.