An ABC of Queen Victoria's Empire

An ABC of Queen Victoria's Empire offers a provocative rewriting of Mrs. Ernest Ames ABCs for Baby Patriots (1899). Whimsically illustrated for the nursery or primary school child, Ames book demonstrates how deeply imperialism reached into popular culture during Victorias reign. This book presents a rather darker view of Victorias empire, beginning with the wars in Afghanistan and ending with Zam-Zammeh, the large-bore cannon that Kiplings hero sat astride at the opening of his 1901 novel, Kim. It signposts some of the key events, concepts, places and people that shaped the turbulent ground of empire across the long 19th century, providing a serious counterweight to the notion of imperial conquest as childs play. With each letter accompanied by a crisp yet historically nuanced account of its subject, this unique account is the perfect primer for students taking courses on global, imperial and British history.