Imperialism and Postcolonialism

Barbara Bush has taken up a remarkable challenge. Through significant case studies, she has produced a strikingly original and formidably wide-ranging examination of the conceptual and theoretical approaches which help us to understand the forms of imperial authority that have shaped our world. The cumulative effect is indeed impressive, and the book will be invaluable to all those who wish to understand globalization and the power relationships which underlie it.

Professor John MacKenzie, Professor Emeritus of Imperial History, Lancaster University

Imperialism is one of the most powerful forces to have shaped our world and our everyday lives. But it is a complex and contested concept. What are the dynamics of imperial expansion and decline? How do empires hold onto power? Why is imperialism so important to understanding the contemporary world?

Imperialism and Postcolonialism is a critical interrogation of the meaning of empire and imperialism. It examines links between imperialism, modernity and capitalism and considers the impact of imperialism on global structures and national cultures, past and present. Barbara Bush conceptualizes imperialism as an evolving relationship between the powerful and powerless, between different empires and between different classes, cultures and ethnicities within empires.

This accessible but comprehensive and thought-provoking study:

• Covers a wide time span and geographical range, ranging from the Roman empire to present-day America.
• Includes case studies of Ireland, China, Japan and Africa.
• Examines perspectives on gender, race and resistance.
• Interrogates the relationship between culture and imperialism.
• Explores recent developments in historical, political, literary and cultural studies of imperialism.
• Spans the colonial and postcolonial eras and addresses the legacy of imperialism.

Barbara Bush is a Professor of Imperial History at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Her key publications include Slave Women in Caribbean Society, 1650-1838 (1990), which was selected as a Choice Book of the Year in 1991; Imperialism, Race and Resistance:Africa and Britain, 1919-1945,(1999) and Gender and Empire: The Twentieth Century in Gender and Empire, Oxford History of the British Empire, Companion Series (2004) edited by Philippa Levine.