The Lion's Share: A Short History of British Imperialism 1850-1995

I would strongly recommend "The Lion's Share" by Bernard Porter. Extremely informative and highly readable, Porter explores the nature of the "British Empire" during the last three centuries. Porter takes the unconventional view that the actual acquisition of colonial territory by Great Britain, particularly in the 19th century, was not a reflection of its ascendancy as a world power, but rather evidence of its decline as it faced increasing competition for trade in Africa and Asia by other Western nations, particularly Germany, France, and Belgium. Porter calls Great Britain a "reluctant" imperialist. Its Foreign Office consistently opposed the acquisition of colonial territory in favor of free trade without the attachments and entanglements of colonial rule. Only when the choice was between colonizing a trading partner or losing the ability to conduct that trade altogether because of competition with other Western powers did the British choose to plant the Union Jack abroad. The outcome of assuming direct colonial authority over a large portion of the world map resulted in unwanted armed conflict between Britain and its "dependencies," particularly in India, and a general resentment of the British throughout the world. The parallels between the history of the British Empire and recent attempts by the United States to "spread democracy" by the threat and use of armed force, rather than pursuing diplomacy to build relationships that respect the sovereignty and culture of other countries, particularly in the Middle East, are striking. We can learn much from Mr. Porter's analysis of the experience of the British overseas as we attempt to restore the image of the United States as a respected member of the community of nations rather than that of the neighborhood bully attempting to impose its will without regard for world opinion. Porter doesn't neglect descriptive accounts of such major events during the period of the empire as the Great Rebellion in India in the 1850's. Both stirring and thoughtful, this is book that is suitable for both the general reader and for scholars of the period.

I first read Lion's Share, when I was doing my Honours History at Stirling Unversity. I really enjoyed this book, it was a good read, as well as giving a good coverage of this very important period of history and its legacy. It helped to put the history of the British Empire in context, to see its both good and bad aspects, as part of the larger picture of European Imperialism.

British imperialism is too big a subject for a 400 odd page book. But Bernard Porter compressed it into this small book, which looks successful to me. This book would be very helpful to those who would study modern history from now on. But it would be also helpful to those who already have some knowledge about modern history in that the author closely examined the relationship between British Imperialism and British Economy. Because my country Korea was once a victim of Japanese Imperialism, I never doubted before that imperialism is just a method of red-in-tooth-and-claw capitalism. Now I learned that things are not that simple. The author says late 19th-century British Imperialism was both capitalist and anti-capitalist at one and the same time, which broadened my scope of understanding. Though imperialism contributed to British economic decline, it also protected its citizens from red-in-tooth-and-claw capitalism.

I have read more than a few books about the British Empire, and this is one of the best. The genre's more readable books, like James Morris's Pax Britannica trilogy and Denis Judd's Empire, tend to be too episodic for a good academic survey. Bernard Porter's The Lion's Share, however, presents a comprehensive, linear narrative that still manages to be consistently readable. I return to this book frequently for both reference and leisure-reading. My only complaint is that the recent edition's cover looks too much like a textbook's, and will probably discourage bookstore browsers from discovering its pleasures.

"The Lion's Share" is one of the books which enabled me best to acquire the necessary background knowledge for the writing of my Master's dissertation (the subject was: The Failure of the Integration Process of Malta within the United Kingdom: 1955-1958)