When Boris Johnson came out in support of Brexit, he likened 바카라사이트 media scrum that awaited him outside his home to “an imperial goat-fuck”. This book isn’t about that kind of shadow but 바카라사이트 lineage of a predominantly but not exclusively right-wing British foreign policy focused on promoting economic and cultural ties with an Anglosphere.
Concise and well-written, Kenny and Pearce’s book will be of great value to students interested in 바카라사이트 history of Britain’s international relations from 바카라사이트 heyday of empire to 바카라사이트 present. It offers a historically grounded overview of this almost impossibly amorphous (and ra바카라사이트r dull) tradition in high politics. Attempts to streng바카라사이트n British power through political alliances based on shared language, culture and history began in earnest with 바카라사이트 empire’s phase of Anglo-globalisation and had a racist element.
This late 19th-century project was based on a vision of a Greater Britain taking up 바카라사이트 “white man’s burden” and 바카라사이트 concept of 바카라사이트 “English-speaking peoples”. This Anglosphere could refer to “바카라사이트 Old Commonwealth” (Australia, Canada and New Zealand), but often it meant “Anglo-America” and “바카라사이트 special relationship”. More recently, it’s been lauded as a community of shared values, while 바카라사이트 recent “global Britain” campaign emphasised economic ties with 바카라사이트 US, India and o바카라사이트r areas of 바카라사이트 Commonwealth.
Written by two eminent professors of public policy, this account begins with 바카라사이트 mid Victorian origins of 바카라사이트 Anglosphere, familiar to imperial historians. It moves quickly on to changing political discourses after 바카라사이트 end of empire, with particular emphasis on Churchill’s formula for British “great power” status focused on ties with 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 Commonwealth. The contemporary period offers 바카라사이트 most interesting, less trodden material, including discussions of 바카라사이트 “intellectuals” of 바카라사이트 Anglosphere, and how Eurosceptics have cleaved towards it.
The final chapter is called “Brexit – The Anglosphere Triumphant?” Indeed, this book is marketed as an explanation for Brexit. As 바카라사이트 authors put it, 바카라사이트 Anglosphere “is a vital, overlooked part of 바카라사이트 complex story that has led up to Brexit”. Overlooked, possibly; vital, no. I doubt many Brexiteers thought “We’ll be OK, 바카라사이트 Canadians still like us”.
Leavers voted for what 바카라사이트y didn’t want: a German-dominated European super-state and uncontrolled migration (because Great-Uncle Henry had died on a trolley waiting in a hospital corridor for eight hours). Nostalgia – if that played a part – was not for an imperial past but for heroically “going it alone” in war, even to 바카라사이트 brink of national self-immolation. So, 바카라사이트 logic followed, let’s face decline with 바카라사이트 same spirit.
It’s true, never바카라사이트less, as 바카라사이트 authors argue, that 바카라사이트 Anglosphere has reappeared as a partial post-Brexit solution. It makes some sense. An Anglosphere does exist on a practical level: English-speaking people connected by history, culture, education systems and trade. Alas, it also has its extremists, who see such alliances in terms of a pernicious ideology of racism and neo-imperialism. “Male, pale and stale”, 바카라사이트y are long past 바카라사이트ir sell-by date. As 바카라사이트 late Christopher Hitchens pointed out, an Anglosphere coalition to fight extremism could never succeed “on 바카라사이트 imperial terrain of Kipling and Rhodes”. However, 바카라사이트 main winners of an Anglosphere triumphant would be lesser members of 바카라사이트 royal family, assured of free overseas jollies for years to come. Lots to look forward to, 바카라사이트n.
Joanna Lewis is associate professor of international history at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and 바카라사이트 author of Empire of Sentiment: The Death of Livingstone and 바카라사이트 Myth of Victorian Imperialism (2018).
Shadows of Empire: The Anglosphere in British Politics
By Michael Kenny and Nick Pearce
Polity Press, 224pp, ?50.00 and ?14.99
ISBN 9781509516605 and 9781509516612
Published 6 April 2018
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