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The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997 (Vintage)
by Brendon, Piers
- Used
- Paperback
- first
- Condition
- Like New/Like New
- ISBN 10
- 0307388417
- ISBN 13
- 9780307388414
- Seller
-
Sunbury, Ohio, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Vintage, 2010-02-09. First Paperback Edition. Paperback. Like New/Like New. February 2010 Stated First Vintage Books Edition Paperback, w/full number line. As new, mint condition. From The Civil War Book Shop- As close as your computer; as dependable as old Abe.
Synopsis
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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Details
- Bookseller
- The Civil War Book Shop
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 130515011
- Title
- The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997 (Vintage)
- Author
- Brendon, Piers
- Format/Binding
- Paperback
- Book Condition
- New
- Jacket Condition
- Like New
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Paperback Edition
- ISBN 10
- 0307388417
- ISBN 13
- 9780307388414
- Publisher
- Vintage
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2010-02-09
- X weight
- 27 oz
Terms of Sale
The Civil War Book Shop
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About the Seller
The Civil War Book Shop
Biblio member since 2009
Sunbury, Ohio
About The Civil War Book Shop
My name is Michael Wise, and I am the proprietor of The Civil War Book Shop. I have been a Civil War buff since grade school, and enjoy visiting battle fields, reading about the war, and discussing it with friends. I am an avid reader, and enjoy browsing through book stores, making that special find and racing home to read it. For several years I have taken advantage of ordering books online, enjoying the convenience of door step delivery. After much research, I determined there is room for an internet book retailer devoted to the serious Civil War reader, collector, and history buff. For nearly five years The Civil War Book Shop has offered a select line of new, used, and collectible books. Along with American Civil War related books, we also offer items in categories such as Early American History, Native American, World War II, Other Wars, Business, Human Interest, Religion, Cooking, Gardening, Quilting, etc. These items are those that capture my interest (and my wife\'s) and that I think may interest others. I try to add new items each week, so check our store front often. My goal is to provide customers with the level of value, service, and convenience for which only the finest traditional, independent retailers are known.
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