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The Rise and Fall of the British Empire
Audio CDs in three cases (parts 1, 2, and 3), accompanied by a "like new" course booklet. 36 lectures in all / 30 minutes per lecture. 18 audio CDs. Taught by Professor Patrick N. Allitt of Emory University.
At its peak in the early 20th century, Britain's empire was the largest in the history of the world, greater even than that of ancient Rome. It embraced more than a fourth of the world's population and affected the course of Western civilization in ways almost too numerous to imagine.
At its peak in the early 20th century, Britain's empire was the largest in the history of the world, greater even than that of ancient Rome. It embraced more than a fourth of the world's population and affected the course of Western civilization in ways almost too numerous to imagine.
18 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2009
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January 14, 2018
"The Rise and Fall of the British Empire" by Patrick N. Allitt provides a decent overview of the British Empire. This is a set of 36 lectures (each approximately 30 minutes) that is part of "The Great Courses" Modern History lecture series.
While it gives you a "30,000-foot view" of the empire and has a "mile-wide, inch-deep" feel at many points, it also has a lot to offer someone who wants a solid introduction to the British Empire. And I think it can serve as a good jumping off point for someone who wants to dive deeper into a specific aspect of the British Empire.
Allitt, for the most part, presents the material in a chronological manner (from the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 to the election of Nelson Mandela in South Africa in 1994). He includes lots of dates, places, names, events, and short anecdotes. But he also, occasionally, devotes more depth to a particular individual, event, or phenomenon. And he devotes time to discussing the literature of the Empire and the Post-Colonial period - something I appreciated.
In his presentation of the material, Allitt states that he wants to take a middle course between the view that the British Empire brought nothing but evil and suffering to the world and the view that it was the best thing to ever happen to the world. For the most part, he kept to the middle course - highlighting both the positives and the negatives - although I would say he leaned more towards the positive side. I think the perspectives of the subjected peoples and of the enemies of the empire should have been a bit more prominent throughout the lectures.
The British Empire was the largest empire in world history. Especially during the hundred-year "Pax Britannica" (1815-1914), it was a dominate player in world events. If you want to understand 20th Century history and even many geo-political events today, you need to have at least a basic understanding of the British Empire. And I think this set of lectures provides a good introduction to the British Empire.
I enjoyed listening to this set of lectures and, through it, grew in my understanding of the British Empire.
Notes:
I listened to the Audible version, Release Date:07-08-13, Publisher: The Great Courses.
The Audible version also includes the course Guidebook (PDF file).
While it gives you a "30,000-foot view" of the empire and has a "mile-wide, inch-deep" feel at many points, it also has a lot to offer someone who wants a solid introduction to the British Empire. And I think it can serve as a good jumping off point for someone who wants to dive deeper into a specific aspect of the British Empire.
Allitt, for the most part, presents the material in a chronological manner (from the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 to the election of Nelson Mandela in South Africa in 1994). He includes lots of dates, places, names, events, and short anecdotes. But he also, occasionally, devotes more depth to a particular individual, event, or phenomenon. And he devotes time to discussing the literature of the Empire and the Post-Colonial period - something I appreciated.
In his presentation of the material, Allitt states that he wants to take a middle course between the view that the British Empire brought nothing but evil and suffering to the world and the view that it was the best thing to ever happen to the world. For the most part, he kept to the middle course - highlighting both the positives and the negatives - although I would say he leaned more towards the positive side. I think the perspectives of the subjected peoples and of the enemies of the empire should have been a bit more prominent throughout the lectures.
The British Empire was the largest empire in world history. Especially during the hundred-year "Pax Britannica" (1815-1914), it was a dominate player in world events. If you want to understand 20th Century history and even many geo-political events today, you need to have at least a basic understanding of the British Empire. And I think this set of lectures provides a good introduction to the British Empire.
I enjoyed listening to this set of lectures and, through it, grew in my understanding of the British Empire.
Notes:
I listened to the Audible version, Release Date:07-08-13, Publisher: The Great Courses.
The Audible version also includes the course Guidebook (PDF file).
June 14, 2016
I know it's trite, but Allitt really does make history "come alive"! Rather than just a list of names, places and dates, he incorporates British society and culture.
September 17, 2021
It’s hard to study the world history of the past few centuries without encountering the British Empire which was so encompassing that the British could proudly proclaim that the sun never set upon it. This Great Courses series attempts to look at the empire in its totality, which it does by bouncing around the globe in different time periods and observing how different pieces of the empire were obtained, evolved, and eventually left again. So the study is interesting, but for me, I never felt like it was adequately pulled everything together. Rarely did I feel as if I was reading about one empire. Instead, we were always looking at various pieces of it.
I also would have liked to have had a longer exploration of the comparisons of the British Empire to others around the world—Russia/Soviet, China, Aztec, Rome, Carthage, the list goes on and on. I also would have enjoyed a much more thorough look at the impacts—positive and negative—the empire had on the regions it ruled and the globe. Allitt makes a stab at this, but I would have preferred much more detail. Finally, I would have liked substantially more detail on why the empire was viewed as necessary in Britain and how they held onto it (from a domestic/political perspective) for so long.
Overall, a good course that left me wanting much more on the topic.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
I also would have liked to have had a longer exploration of the comparisons of the British Empire to others around the world—Russia/Soviet, China, Aztec, Rome, Carthage, the list goes on and on. I also would have enjoyed a much more thorough look at the impacts—positive and negative—the empire had on the regions it ruled and the globe. Allitt makes a stab at this, but I would have preferred much more detail. Finally, I would have liked substantially more detail on why the empire was viewed as necessary in Britain and how they held onto it (from a domestic/political perspective) for so long.
Overall, a good course that left me wanting much more on the topic.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
July 7, 2021
Patrick N. Allitt comes across, in this series of audio lectures, as a very pleasant, easy-going and genial academic. His voice absolutely sounds like it belongs to a British comedian though I can't, for the life of me, think who he makes me think of. Overall, the lectures feel quite lively - almost fun; certainly they're easy to follow.
But - oh dear - despite what I think were the best of intentions, Allitt (quite literally) whitewashes British colonial history. It's obvious he doesn't intend to. He tries to present the 'warts and all' aspects of the British history and states right at the beginning about the importance of setting aside political goals and behaving as good historians should: to look objectively as the evidence. Alas, what Allitt has fallen foul of here is 'researcher bias', unconsciously passing over that which needs much greater emphasis.
Amritsar gets barely a mention and, when it does, his final point is one of how the British praised Dyer for his horrific orders rather than the revulsion they felt. Churchill, while some negatives are expressed modestly, is not mentioned at all when it comes to the great Bengal famine and his role in deliberately letting Indians starve is glossed over. Where the British did bad things, mitigating circumstances are presented. Allitt presents the Opium Wars as an understandable result of the British wanting to trade opium in China where there were plenty of addicts desiring the product. He fails to mention that before the British started illegally pushing the drug, there were no, or few, known addicts in the country. There was no market for drugs until the British created one.
And surrounding these omissions? Lots of glowing reports of how good the Empire was. Whole lectures on colonial literature which glows with pride. Post-colonial literature - while often praising non-white authors - has more than a hint of condescension to it when Allitt suggests it is all coming along very well and slowly 'catching up' with white literature. He completely ignores Rabindranath Tagore in this context, which is inexcusable. All in all, you come away from these lectures with the feel that the British Empire was an exciting and glorious time which really, all things considered, was pretty spiffing even if not always perfect.
This would be too ghastly to bear if it wasn't for the fact that the lectures are really quite fascinating, well researched, enjoyable and do present some fantastic information about the 'white lands' - the histories of America, Canada, Australia and so on. Personally, I know very little about Canada and Australia, so I particularly enjoyed learning about these nations. Again, there is a sense of whitewashing - we're told very little about the original peoples of the various lands where the British (and, to be fair, other Europeans) went - but it isn't quite as tortured as his angle on African and Indian history. There are nice little oddities along the way though. The lecture on cricket was brilliant and has ensured that I never want to see the game again; not that I was ever a fan before...but now I'm morally opposed!
Overall then, I could recommend Allitt's lectures as a starting point for researching colonial history but then make sure you dive straight into something else which gives you better perspective. For this, you could do worse than go to Sathnam Sanghera's excellent 'Empireland' which is both gentle and balanced in critiquing the nature of the British in other countries.
I do feel a little sorry for Allitt. He admits he's a product of the Empire. He was born just as the empire was collapsing, when socialism was on the rise and the idea of empire was abhorrent, yet an entire British population, bruised by WWII, was mourning the loss and believed - as one - that the Empire was great and glorious. He's no apologist for colonialism; his intentions to present it as bad just as much as good were pure and just. It's just that there is a very clear and obvious bias which, I suspect, is completely hidden to him. It's much easier for myself, born a couple of generations later where - despite the inherent racism and continued love for the empire and belief in the greatness of Britain - socialism was, nevertheless, in ascendency, the empire was no more a lived experience and we all believed in the equality of all. From such a vantage point, it's much easier to stand back and reflect. Indeed, anyone born after 1970 should be able to do so. It's a pity then that so few actually do. For that reason, Allitt's lectures are a little bit dangerous. There's still too many Brits who mourn a loss of a 'great empire' they never actually knew and never really existed. On their own then, the lectures should be avoided; as part of a greater package, they really quite useful.
But - oh dear - despite what I think were the best of intentions, Allitt (quite literally) whitewashes British colonial history. It's obvious he doesn't intend to. He tries to present the 'warts and all' aspects of the British history and states right at the beginning about the importance of setting aside political goals and behaving as good historians should: to look objectively as the evidence. Alas, what Allitt has fallen foul of here is 'researcher bias', unconsciously passing over that which needs much greater emphasis.
Amritsar gets barely a mention and, when it does, his final point is one of how the British praised Dyer for his horrific orders rather than the revulsion they felt. Churchill, while some negatives are expressed modestly, is not mentioned at all when it comes to the great Bengal famine and his role in deliberately letting Indians starve is glossed over. Where the British did bad things, mitigating circumstances are presented. Allitt presents the Opium Wars as an understandable result of the British wanting to trade opium in China where there were plenty of addicts desiring the product. He fails to mention that before the British started illegally pushing the drug, there were no, or few, known addicts in the country. There was no market for drugs until the British created one.
And surrounding these omissions? Lots of glowing reports of how good the Empire was. Whole lectures on colonial literature which glows with pride. Post-colonial literature - while often praising non-white authors - has more than a hint of condescension to it when Allitt suggests it is all coming along very well and slowly 'catching up' with white literature. He completely ignores Rabindranath Tagore in this context, which is inexcusable. All in all, you come away from these lectures with the feel that the British Empire was an exciting and glorious time which really, all things considered, was pretty spiffing even if not always perfect.
This would be too ghastly to bear if it wasn't for the fact that the lectures are really quite fascinating, well researched, enjoyable and do present some fantastic information about the 'white lands' - the histories of America, Canada, Australia and so on. Personally, I know very little about Canada and Australia, so I particularly enjoyed learning about these nations. Again, there is a sense of whitewashing - we're told very little about the original peoples of the various lands where the British (and, to be fair, other Europeans) went - but it isn't quite as tortured as his angle on African and Indian history. There are nice little oddities along the way though. The lecture on cricket was brilliant and has ensured that I never want to see the game again; not that I was ever a fan before...but now I'm morally opposed!
Overall then, I could recommend Allitt's lectures as a starting point for researching colonial history but then make sure you dive straight into something else which gives you better perspective. For this, you could do worse than go to Sathnam Sanghera's excellent 'Empireland' which is both gentle and balanced in critiquing the nature of the British in other countries.
I do feel a little sorry for Allitt. He admits he's a product of the Empire. He was born just as the empire was collapsing, when socialism was on the rise and the idea of empire was abhorrent, yet an entire British population, bruised by WWII, was mourning the loss and believed - as one - that the Empire was great and glorious. He's no apologist for colonialism; his intentions to present it as bad just as much as good were pure and just. It's just that there is a very clear and obvious bias which, I suspect, is completely hidden to him. It's much easier for myself, born a couple of generations later where - despite the inherent racism and continued love for the empire and belief in the greatness of Britain - socialism was, nevertheless, in ascendency, the empire was no more a lived experience and we all believed in the equality of all. From such a vantage point, it's much easier to stand back and reflect. Indeed, anyone born after 1970 should be able to do so. It's a pity then that so few actually do. For that reason, Allitt's lectures are a little bit dangerous. There's still too many Brits who mourn a loss of a 'great empire' they never actually knew and never really existed. On their own then, the lectures should be avoided; as part of a greater package, they really quite useful.
November 20, 2013
The instructor had a massive topic to cover as he followed threads of the British Empire for four centuries. Given this, he did an exceptional job choosing individual topics that turned the diamond he wanted to examine in order to allow specific facets to be put under focus. He would take a lecture on Australia and provide interesting insights particular to that part of the empire and its history, but he would also carefully tie that area of the Empire into the issues that were impacting the rest of it. He was clearly fascinated with all aspects of his subject, and this kind of enthusiasm is contagious to those who might be marginally interested in some aspect of a particular topic.
As a Briton who has spent a great deal of time in higher education in the United States, he seemed uniquely qualified to bring the history of the British Empire to a wider, and largely American, audience. He took a risk, I thought, in attempting to explain an aspect of that history that greatly puzzles Americans, the defeat of Winston Churchill shortly after World War II, by choosing a personal example. Instead of sticking to general trends or sociological nuggets, he explained how his father's military service and its wider exposure led him to vote against the "old guard" Churchill represented and for the New World represented Churchill's opponent. Conversely, he also does an excellent job choosing more academic examples to make his points. He has a nose for quotes, whether from academics or participants, that makes his point in an engaging way.
As a Briton who has spent a great deal of time in higher education in the United States, he seemed uniquely qualified to bring the history of the British Empire to a wider, and largely American, audience. He took a risk, I thought, in attempting to explain an aspect of that history that greatly puzzles Americans, the defeat of Winston Churchill shortly after World War II, by choosing a personal example. Instead of sticking to general trends or sociological nuggets, he explained how his father's military service and its wider exposure led him to vote against the "old guard" Churchill represented and for the New World represented Churchill's opponent. Conversely, he also does an excellent job choosing more academic examples to make his points. He has a nose for quotes, whether from academics or participants, that makes his point in an engaging way.
January 24, 2023
Very informative! Strikes the balance between breadth and depth of coverage. Certainly worth listening to - with the caveat - that Allitt's perspective is old school. It is definitely that of a white, 20th century, British male (Oxbridge educated). Although he attempts to relate a neutral telling of the history of the Empire, Allitt operates from the position that the British Empire is ultimately benign or at least breaks even morally. He states:
"Historians disagree radically in their judgment of the British Empire. For some it represents greed, exploitation, racism, and hypocrisy. For others it represents an unmatched advancement of civilization. This course has tried to take the middle position, recognizing that some of Britain's traders, soldiers, and politicians were often unscrupulous and narrowly self-interested, but also that others with the widest array of motives, brought education, medicine, technology, and the possibility of political stability to remote parts of the world."
I learned a lot, but this also serves as reminder to me why it's so important to seek out multiple and diverse voices when taking on any subject of history, especially one as vast as the impact of the British Empire.
"Historians disagree radically in their judgment of the British Empire. For some it represents greed, exploitation, racism, and hypocrisy. For others it represents an unmatched advancement of civilization. This course has tried to take the middle position, recognizing that some of Britain's traders, soldiers, and politicians were often unscrupulous and narrowly self-interested, but also that others with the widest array of motives, brought education, medicine, technology, and the possibility of political stability to remote parts of the world."
I learned a lot, but this also serves as reminder to me why it's so important to seek out multiple and diverse voices when taking on any subject of history, especially one as vast as the impact of the British Empire.
October 30, 2015
Sounds like the kind of book to put you to sleep at the beginning of a semester class you're forced to take - right?
If you have any interest at all in history, you will really like this book. It's a series of lectures, organized by topic, by a professor at Emory who does a really good job of making each topic engaging, interesting and relevant to what's happening today.
Historians are divided on whether the British Empire was positive or negative in the world -this book takes a decidedly neutral view and lays out the facts. Was it right to occupy territory? What if those people practiced "sati" or the burning of widows? The issues are complex, and there are no pat, trite answers you can tweet out to your ideologically similar brethren for points.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes world history and how it affects current events.
Merged review:
Really well told stories and topics. The history and economics were the substance, but the organization and telling of the stories kept me engaged throughout.
Fascinating to see how the British Empire shaped the world we live in today. I had no idea of the extent.
If you have any interest at all in history, you will really like this book. It's a series of lectures, organized by topic, by a professor at Emory who does a really good job of making each topic engaging, interesting and relevant to what's happening today.
Historians are divided on whether the British Empire was positive or negative in the world -this book takes a decidedly neutral view and lays out the facts. Was it right to occupy territory? What if those people practiced "sati" or the burning of widows? The issues are complex, and there are no pat, trite answers you can tweet out to your ideologically similar brethren for points.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes world history and how it affects current events.
Merged review:
Really well told stories and topics. The history and economics were the substance, but the organization and telling of the stories kept me engaged throughout.
Fascinating to see how the British Empire shaped the world we live in today. I had no idea of the extent.
April 24, 2019
Loved this lecture series. As an anglophile, there are so many things about Great Britain that I'm curious about. While not an exhaustive account, it does provide a solid overview of centuries of history that has affected the entire world, not just that fascinating island on the other side of the Atlantic.
March 12, 2022
It's not bad but if it'd been taught by someone who was *not* British I think that would have avoided some of the biases that Allitt falls into- over-romanticization of colonizers such as Captain Cook, deference to capitalist systems, and a somewhat patronizing tone towards the former colonies, especially India.
April 3, 2018
I liked this lecture series, especially as the British Empire is not really taught in British schools - one rather gets the sense it was something we happened to pick up by accident sometime in the 19th century. This itself is one of the historical assessments which Patrik Allitt challenges, but the lecture course itself is more focused on telling you what happened than by coming up with large theories about why it happened or if someone was at fault. This is a useful approach for an introductory text, although it can feel a little unstuck when Professor Allitt moves from the general narrative to give a reflection based on his own British upbringing and identity, because it makes the areas of greatest British shame (such as the Opium Wars, or the repression of the Indian rebellions) feel slightly ignored by comparison.
But I suppose that one has to pick an approach and stick with it, and stopping at every point of the detail of what happened to consider the moral turpitude of Empire would slow down the whole series. I can't help but feel a bit more of a review at the end to address some of these scholarly debates would have been useful though.
That aside, the scope of the lectures is compelling, covering the whole of the Empire on whom the sun never set, and covering from Tudor times right up until the Coalition Government of 2010. And the literature review of books coming out of Empire at the end is fantastic, and has already added some books onto the 'want to read' bit of this very app. Would definitely recommend.
But I suppose that one has to pick an approach and stick with it, and stopping at every point of the detail of what happened to consider the moral turpitude of Empire would slow down the whole series. I can't help but feel a bit more of a review at the end to address some of these scholarly debates would have been useful though.
That aside, the scope of the lectures is compelling, covering the whole of the Empire on whom the sun never set, and covering from Tudor times right up until the Coalition Government of 2010. And the literature review of books coming out of Empire at the end is fantastic, and has already added some books onto the 'want to read' bit of this very app. Would definitely recommend.
December 9, 2017
A very interesting course about the rise and fall of the British Empire. It never really lagged and Professor Allitt presents the material in an interesting, accessible way. He comes across as somewhat conservative and as something of a colonialist in his sympathies, but everything in the course is presented in a very balanced way.
This course was completed back in 2008 and that's a pity because it sure would have been interesting to get Allitt's thoughts on the recent trials of the former empire, particularly Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn's takeover of the Labour party. Perhaps a new, broader course on the history of Britain is due?
There are moments in the course when I was chuckling at things Allitt said - such as his mention of a "fringe" movement calling for British independence from the E.U. or his prediction that Britain would eventually join the Eurozone. Thankfully, Professor Allitt is a much better historian than he is a prognosticator, and as such this course can still be heartily recommended.
This course was completed back in 2008 and that's a pity because it sure would have been interesting to get Allitt's thoughts on the recent trials of the former empire, particularly Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn's takeover of the Labour party. Perhaps a new, broader course on the history of Britain is due?
There are moments in the course when I was chuckling at things Allitt said - such as his mention of a "fringe" movement calling for British independence from the E.U. or his prediction that Britain would eventually join the Eurozone. Thankfully, Professor Allitt is a much better historian than he is a prognosticator, and as such this course can still be heartily recommended.
July 8, 2021
Fairly standard history of the British Empire. Nothing ground breaking or revealing but that might be because we are all aware of the individual parts of the British Empire's broad history. If you're looking for a reliable and comprehensive course on the British Empire however, this is NOT it.
Professor Allitt's sources are almost all British, and that too, British conservative historians like Niall Ferguson. Colonial sources are barely considered. This creates a slightly dated outlook; even the supposedly liberal parts have a tinge of European paternalism. Since the course came out in 2008, this narrative of British history has been challenged by thinkers like Shashi Tharoor and historians like William Dalrymple have written far more rounded histories using local as well as British sources.
Professor Allitt's sources are almost all British, and that too, British conservative historians like Niall Ferguson. Colonial sources are barely considered. This creates a slightly dated outlook; even the supposedly liberal parts have a tinge of European paternalism. Since the course came out in 2008, this narrative of British history has been challenged by thinkers like Shashi Tharoor and historians like William Dalrymple have written far more rounded histories using local as well as British sources.
July 24, 2017
An amazing account of the of the British empire starting with Elizabeth I.
July 12, 2016
“What should we suppose must naturally be the consequence of our carrying on a slave trade with Africa? With a country, vast in its extent, not utterly barbarous, but civilized in a very small degree? Does anyone suppose a slave trade would help their civilization?” William Wilberforce
1 The Sun Never Set
2 The Challenge to Spain in the New World
3 African Slavery and the West Indies
4 Imperial Beginnings in India
5 Clive and the Conquest of India
6 Wolfe and the Conquest of Canada
7 The Loss of the American Colonies
8 Exploring the Planet
9 Napoleon Challenges the Empire
10 The Other Side of the World
11 Abolition of the Slave Trade and Slavery
12 Early African Colonies
13 China and the Opium Wars
14 Britain—The Imperial Center
15 Ireland—The Tragic Relationship
16 India and the "Great Game"
17 Rebellion and Mutiny in India
18 How Canada Became a Nation
19 The Exploration and Settlement of Africa
20 Gold, Greed, and Geopolitics in Africa
21 The Empire in Literature
22 Economics and Theories of Empire
23 The British Empire Fights Imperial Germany
24 Versailles and Disillusionment
25 Ireland Divided
26 Cricket and the British Empire
27 British India between the World Wars
28 World War II—England Alone
29 World War II—The Pyrrhic Victory
30 Twilight of the Raj
31 Israel, Egypt, and the Suez Canal
32 The Decolonization of Africa
33 The White Dominions
34 Britain after the Empire
35 Colonial and Postcolonial Literature
36 Epitaph and Legacy
These 36 lectures and 140 page PDF tell the story of the British Empire from its very beginnings to its death knell. Professor Alitt does not sugar coat anything but tells us that Britain truly believed they were the masters of the earth and were the best to rule over it. He also tells us that the true reason of their domination was the love of money, which I think, is true of any conquerors. Deep down it is always about money. If it no longer pays than it is time to cut your losses.
I learned a great deal about British history that I never learned in high school. The British empire began with the colonies in America and ended with South Africa apartheid. At one time, the sun never set on the British Empire. The professor also says that the people of Great Britain are still better off today than they ever were before.
I learned about the Irish problem and home rule. I learned that Britain learned from their loss of the American colonies and never went to war again with any of their colonies but compromised. I learned that when the empire allowed the colonies to separate from them there usually was chaos and bloodshed as the various factions sought revenge and power over their perceived enemies.
The professor also taught us about the importance of cricket and the wealth of literature that came from the British Empire. From Rudyard Kipling “Gunga Din” to Alan Paton’s “Cry The Beloved Country.”
Anyone with a love of British history will enjoy these lectures. They also will be thirsty for more information and will continue to pursue this hunger with more books on the empire. I think that should be the goal of every teacher, to awaken that hunger for knowledge in his or her students.
1 The Sun Never Set
2 The Challenge to Spain in the New World
3 African Slavery and the West Indies
4 Imperial Beginnings in India
5 Clive and the Conquest of India
6 Wolfe and the Conquest of Canada
7 The Loss of the American Colonies
8 Exploring the Planet
9 Napoleon Challenges the Empire
10 The Other Side of the World
11 Abolition of the Slave Trade and Slavery
12 Early African Colonies
13 China and the Opium Wars
14 Britain—The Imperial Center
15 Ireland—The Tragic Relationship
16 India and the "Great Game"
17 Rebellion and Mutiny in India
18 How Canada Became a Nation
19 The Exploration and Settlement of Africa
20 Gold, Greed, and Geopolitics in Africa
21 The Empire in Literature
22 Economics and Theories of Empire
23 The British Empire Fights Imperial Germany
24 Versailles and Disillusionment
25 Ireland Divided
26 Cricket and the British Empire
27 British India between the World Wars
28 World War II—England Alone
29 World War II—The Pyrrhic Victory
30 Twilight of the Raj
31 Israel, Egypt, and the Suez Canal
32 The Decolonization of Africa
33 The White Dominions
34 Britain after the Empire
35 Colonial and Postcolonial Literature
36 Epitaph and Legacy
These 36 lectures and 140 page PDF tell the story of the British Empire from its very beginnings to its death knell. Professor Alitt does not sugar coat anything but tells us that Britain truly believed they were the masters of the earth and were the best to rule over it. He also tells us that the true reason of their domination was the love of money, which I think, is true of any conquerors. Deep down it is always about money. If it no longer pays than it is time to cut your losses.
I learned a great deal about British history that I never learned in high school. The British empire began with the colonies in America and ended with South Africa apartheid. At one time, the sun never set on the British Empire. The professor also says that the people of Great Britain are still better off today than they ever were before.
I learned about the Irish problem and home rule. I learned that Britain learned from their loss of the American colonies and never went to war again with any of their colonies but compromised. I learned that when the empire allowed the colonies to separate from them there usually was chaos and bloodshed as the various factions sought revenge and power over their perceived enemies.
The professor also taught us about the importance of cricket and the wealth of literature that came from the British Empire. From Rudyard Kipling “Gunga Din” to Alan Paton’s “Cry The Beloved Country.”
Anyone with a love of British history will enjoy these lectures. They also will be thirsty for more information and will continue to pursue this hunger with more books on the empire. I think that should be the goal of every teacher, to awaken that hunger for knowledge in his or her students.
June 1, 2017
First: British people are terrible.
Then: White people are terrible.
Overall: Yeah, there's a lot (a lot ) of flat out racism but they did some good stuff too. *uncomfortable sideways glances* *guilty foot shuffling* Remember Dickens? Just... you know... don't look at that stuff he said about Indians... um. (fucking racism, I told you!)
Later (past the scope of this course): Brexit.
Yay.
note on the "narration": Allitt does a fantastic job as a lecturer! He neither sounds like he's reading off note cards nor does he over orate like Seth goddamned Lehrer. He's right in that comfy middle ground of talking to you like a normal person. *heart*
Then: White people are terrible.
Overall: Yeah, there's a lot (a lot ) of flat out racism but they did some good stuff too. *uncomfortable sideways glances* *guilty foot shuffling* Remember Dickens? Just... you know... don't look at that stuff he said about Indians... um. (fucking racism, I told you!)
Later (past the scope of this course): Brexit.
Yay.
note on the "narration": Allitt does a fantastic job as a lecturer! He neither sounds like he's reading off note cards nor does he over orate like Seth goddamned Lehrer. He's right in that comfy middle ground of talking to you like a normal person. *heart*
January 18, 2015
One of the most boring Great Courses I've heard. The history is reduced to events and anecdotes. very few insights (one of the interesting and few ones is that the stability of "Bank of England" is a major reason for British rise).
I'm listening to another one now, the "English History from Tudors to Stuarts". Much more engaging and insightful.
I'm listening to another one now, the "English History from Tudors to Stuarts". Much more engaging and insightful.
March 13, 2015
Enjoyable to listen (audible.com), but hardly teaches you anything...
I do not recommend this (audio)book for anyone who wants to expand knowledge or get better understanding about the matter. Book contains little of valuable facts, insights. Content is mostly filled with lots of short, random, barely related stories.
I do not recommend this (audio)book for anyone who wants to expand knowledge or get better understanding about the matter. Book contains little of valuable facts, insights. Content is mostly filled with lots of short, random, barely related stories.
September 14, 2020
Boring in the way that most history lectures are: just listing things, persons, nations, events and dates. Scratches the surface on a wide variety of things, but doesn't make you deeply understand anything.
January 30, 2015
[audible]
a very interesting course from Great course series, introduced the history of British empire in 36 lectures.
a very interesting course from Great course series, introduced the history of British empire in 36 lectures.
July 18, 2016
Excellent scholarship ruined by politically correct commentary. Sorry, but applying 21st Century values to earlier eons is not only idiotic, but almost duplicitous. Terribly disappointing.
March 13, 2018
At first I found the lectures rather scattered and random and, naturally, some appealed to me more than others, but I quickly found myself absorbed and entertained as I listened to these lessons about the history of the British empire while tromping along the snowy trails of Alaska.
The lecturer, Patrick N. Allitt, states that he wished to keep to a middle ground with his interpretations (the British empire is neither savior extraordinaire nor abjectly evil), and he does a pretty good job, I think. He leans a little more towards the positive, but perhaps that's because a middle road doesn't entirely exist for such a daunting subject. I appreciated how he quite often reminded the listener to not view the events from the future perspective/outcome, but rather to see the issues how they were seen in their own day. A valuable lesson.
At so many times during the listening of these lectures, my impulse was to run to my library and pick up a book about whatever topic he had just touched upon. If I weren't in the middle of a half dozen books already, I might have. Among the titles I thought of, these books lay (currently unread) upon my shelves:
* Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire (Simon Winchester)
* How the Irish Saved Civilization (Thomas Cahill)
* Guns, Germs, and Steel (Jared Diamond)
* Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators and Fading Empires (Simon Winchester)
* Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found (Suketu Mehta/India)
* The Zanzibar Chest: A Story of Life, Love, and Death in Foreign Lands (Aidan Hartley/Africa/Kenya)
* The Covenant (James Michener/South Africa)
And to reread The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Botswana)/The Twentieth Wife (India)/A Feast of Roses (India), and In a Sunburned Country (Australia).
Also, to add something to my shelf about Canada beyond Anne of Green Gables. ;o)
All of these books rest patiently waiting for me to pick them up off the shelf--the only thing I lack let is time.
The lecturer, Patrick N. Allitt, states that he wished to keep to a middle ground with his interpretations (the British empire is neither savior extraordinaire nor abjectly evil), and he does a pretty good job, I think. He leans a little more towards the positive, but perhaps that's because a middle road doesn't entirely exist for such a daunting subject. I appreciated how he quite often reminded the listener to not view the events from the future perspective/outcome, but rather to see the issues how they were seen in their own day. A valuable lesson.
At so many times during the listening of these lectures, my impulse was to run to my library and pick up a book about whatever topic he had just touched upon. If I weren't in the middle of a half dozen books already, I might have. Among the titles I thought of, these books lay (currently unread) upon my shelves:
* Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire (Simon Winchester)
* How the Irish Saved Civilization (Thomas Cahill)
* Guns, Germs, and Steel (Jared Diamond)
* Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators and Fading Empires (Simon Winchester)
* Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found (Suketu Mehta/India)
* The Zanzibar Chest: A Story of Life, Love, and Death in Foreign Lands (Aidan Hartley/Africa/Kenya)
* The Covenant (James Michener/South Africa)
And to reread The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Botswana)/The Twentieth Wife (India)/A Feast of Roses (India), and In a Sunburned Country (Australia).
Also, to add something to my shelf about Canada beyond Anne of Green Gables. ;o)
All of these books rest patiently waiting for me to pick them up off the shelf--the only thing I lack let is time.
July 24, 2018
This was the course book accompanying the Teaching Company course of the same name.
Professor Allitt did a great job and maybe it should be five stars - he covers all the many facets of the Brits beginning and how they began thru to the current state of no colonies or possessions.
The difficulty for me could have been that in a way each subject was treated "briefly" - not the "empire" part but the event such as the American Revolution - but he really seemed to see the many facets of the development of the empire and it's unwinding and not each event/situation as a separate entity but weaving the events together.
Two of the 36 lectures on literature of the time - dangerous guy this Prof. Allitt - he reads a lot and retains and suggests and generally with one of his courses I add five to ten books to my Kindle samples but have only gotten to a few. But the books are mentioned in virtually every lecture.
Also one on "Cricket" - I am not sure how well that fit in but it managed - Prof. Allitt is from England originally.
It is a good course and I would recommend it for anyone interested in the subject and in seeing how the Brits influenced so much of the world.
Professor Allitt did a great job and maybe it should be five stars - he covers all the many facets of the Brits beginning and how they began thru to the current state of no colonies or possessions.
The difficulty for me could have been that in a way each subject was treated "briefly" - not the "empire" part but the event such as the American Revolution - but he really seemed to see the many facets of the development of the empire and it's unwinding and not each event/situation as a separate entity but weaving the events together.
Two of the 36 lectures on literature of the time - dangerous guy this Prof. Allitt - he reads a lot and retains and suggests and generally with one of his courses I add five to ten books to my Kindle samples but have only gotten to a few. But the books are mentioned in virtually every lecture.
Also one on "Cricket" - I am not sure how well that fit in but it managed - Prof. Allitt is from England originally.
It is a good course and I would recommend it for anyone interested in the subject and in seeing how the Brits influenced so much of the world.
April 29, 2022
4/5
Quite good. My only complaint was that it was a little hard to keep everything sorted on a timeline — obviously there’s a lot going on as time doesn’t stop in the other parts of the empire while there’s a crisis in another part, but I did get a great sense of just how many balls the Brits had in the air and also I think a better sense of the British core philosophy or “brand”. Some standout lectures of exploring in the first part of the series, the lecture on cricket, and world war 2. Such a variety of important people are mentioned too, some really interesting lives lived that probably bear further interest.
The accompanying PDF has a timeline, but I don’t usually take the time to do much besides skim that at the end of the lecture series. Might look into the further reading recommendations.
Quite good. My only complaint was that it was a little hard to keep everything sorted on a timeline — obviously there’s a lot going on as time doesn’t stop in the other parts of the empire while there’s a crisis in another part, but I did get a great sense of just how many balls the Brits had in the air and also I think a better sense of the British core philosophy or “brand”. Some standout lectures of exploring in the first part of the series, the lecture on cricket, and world war 2. Such a variety of important people are mentioned too, some really interesting lives lived that probably bear further interest.
The accompanying PDF has a timeline, but I don’t usually take the time to do much besides skim that at the end of the lecture series. Might look into the further reading recommendations.
September 20, 2021
For such a tiny little country, these folks were everywhere. It's incredible how much of the world has Britain shaped in the wake of its colonialism. We are past the point of debating the good and bad of it. I am pretty sure world would have been fucked up all the same if some other power was a bigger colonizer, or if there was no colonialism at all. The hand has been dealt for this generation. It's nonetheless fascinating to read about how we got to where we did. I have read a fair amount of Britishers in India, maybe to a degree of their role in world wars, in Europe, and in USA - but it was truly enlightening to read about their exploits and exploitation, in Canada, Africa, Australia and China. This audio book was an absolutely fantastic ride.
November 7, 2017
This is one of the Great Courses, which I listened to as recorded book. Obviously, this is a vast subject, and each chapter gives highlights on a large variety of topics. I’d heard the expression, “The sun never sets over the British Empire”, but had not really thought about this.
Some of the topics covered in these lectures: competition with the Spanish/Dutch; colonization of the West Indies; India (many lectures); British history that impacted Empire; relationship with Scotland; Canada and the United States; Captain Cook’s discoveries; Australia and New Zealand; Ireland; the abolition of slavery; wars with France; South Africa and the Boer War; the Anglo-China opium war; West African colonization; Egypt and the Suez Canal; Israel and the Middle East; WW1 and WW2; Gallipoli; the decolonization of Africa; Rhodesia. South American isn’t mentioned much until the Falkland Islands in more recently years.
I most probably didn’t get everything I could have out of this, but it was a worthwhile survey.
Some of the topics covered in these lectures: competition with the Spanish/Dutch; colonization of the West Indies; India (many lectures); British history that impacted Empire; relationship with Scotland; Canada and the United States; Captain Cook’s discoveries; Australia and New Zealand; Ireland; the abolition of slavery; wars with France; South Africa and the Boer War; the Anglo-China opium war; West African colonization; Egypt and the Suez Canal; Israel and the Middle East; WW1 and WW2; Gallipoli; the decolonization of Africa; Rhodesia. South American isn’t mentioned much until the Falkland Islands in more recently years.
I most probably didn’t get everything I could have out of this, but it was a worthwhile survey.
January 25, 2022
An enjoyable overview of the British Empire history with plenty that can get a listener intrigued about and search for more information on.
The 'Britain after the Empire' lecture does appear to date the content to being from before the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. With the rise in popularity of the SNP and fall of Labour in Scotland evident at that election, I would have expected some comment from someone with his knowledge of history. He does also unknowingly mention one of the reasons (I think) for Labours fall, with a comment about 'ambitious politicians would still much rather go to ... Westminster'.
The 'Britain after the Empire' lecture does appear to date the content to being from before the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. With the rise in popularity of the SNP and fall of Labour in Scotland evident at that election, I would have expected some comment from someone with his knowledge of history. He does also unknowingly mention one of the reasons (I think) for Labours fall, with a comment about 'ambitious politicians would still much rather go to ... Westminster'.
May 26, 2019
A very good cliff notes overview of the accidental establishment of the empire and its decline and end up to around 2005. It gives a very even keel approach and tries to be as unbiased as it can. Its only fault is the lectures at time can seem like its trying to justify the actual bad parts such as the Opium wars and colonial massacres.
What it also does is give you a very brief history of each of the major colonies. I learned more about the history of Canada, Australia and India in this lecture series then I ever had in school.
Well worth the fairly long run time.
What it also does is give you a very brief history of each of the major colonies. I learned more about the history of Canada, Australia and India in this lecture series then I ever had in school.
Well worth the fairly long run time.
November 26, 2017
This is a great introduction to British history. Very well organized. Very thorough for a general lecture. What I absolutely loved about it was the inclusion of primary sources. In each lecture, at least once, the lecturer read from a primary source to illustrate his points. I thought this made the lecture seem more 'real.' I enjoyed this lecture series so much that I immediately started it again to listen to it a second time.
June 8, 2019
A very good overview of the British imperial history. With the vastness of it, the lectures really felt like each one could be book in its own right. I felt the lecturing was well balanced, topics were presented clearly and the lecturer was a very skilled and interesting speaker. Most of all I liked the literature overview in one of the lectures and the personal story of the lecturer's family in other. Well worth the time. One of these days I shall listen to this with the outline.
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