The British Empire: Pomp, Power and Postcolonialism

Review Comment

The British Empire: Pomp, Power, and Postcolonialism, by Dr Robert Johnson provides a useful and concise overview of British imperial history, combining a descriptive outline of events with original historiography. Johnson provides an account of the main events that led to the acquisition, rule and loss of the British Empire as historical and theoretical debates that reach beyond the standard textbook account. The British Empire is an excellent introduction to the subject though it would also be a useful reference for those interested in imperial historiography.
Johnson emphasises the complex nature of imperialism by focusing on its diversity, stressing the unique dimensions of each colony, time, and encounter within the British Empire. He counters many common myths and assumptions while avoiding unwarranted generalisations in his own account. For example, he challenges the assumption that all colonised peoples were victims of the empire, emphasising that `natives' often embraced European contact - Johnson stresses the vulnerability of the British Empire, premised on myriad local bargains and vulnerable to defection from the collaborators who sustained it. He highlights that although British investments in South America have been used to argue in favour of an informal empire no such claim has been made about even larger investments in the newly formed US Republic. Johnson also casts doubt on the widespread belief in a `divide and conquer' system of rule, while arguing that the myth of the Atlantic 'trade triangle' belittles the complexity of imperial commerce and power. Most importantly, Johnson sheds light on the present - 'the strongest themes of the period, commerce, security, and competition'', he argues, 'lay interwoven with issues of identity, biology, culture, and environment' - without anachronistic language. The British Empire is thoroughly researched with reference to all the key writers on the topic, including Porter, Cannadine, MacKenzie, and Said. Although there are few references to archival materials evidence such as this would have been beyond the work's scope, which is to provide a narrative and historiographical overview of the existing interpretations and debates. Johnson's work is sharp and concise - it is all the more rewarding as a result.
A valuable aspect of the work is Johnson's ability to explain the theory behind contemporary understandings of the British Empire's past, particularly post-colonial theory which he relates to struggles still being fought today. Although controversial, Johnson's stance is well-informed. The British Empire provides a comprehensive coverage of the topic suitable for both the student and the expert. Its elegant prose only adds to its delight.

--reviewed by Wil on Amazon