The British Empire: Sunrise to Sunset

by Philippa Levine

Violent, powerful, vast: the British Empire is typically viewed as distant and tropical. By contrast, this book examines the effects of the empire on men, women and children across the globe: both those under imperial rule and those who implemented it. Looking beyond politics and diplomacy, Philippa Levine combines a traditional approach to colonial history with an investigation of the experience of living within the empire.

Spanning the period from Cromwell's rule to decolonization in the late twentieth century, and including an extensive chronology for ease of reference, Levine considers the impact of British rule for people in Africa, India and Australia, as well as for the English rulers, and for the Welsh, Scots and Irish who were subject to 'internal colonialism' under the English yoke. Imperialism often led to serious unrest; Levine examines the cruel side of imperialism's purportedly 'civilizing' mission unflinchingly.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Read For School, Politics, British Literature, Race

252 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Philippa Levine is the Mary Helen Thompson Centennial Professor in the Humanities and the Co-Director of the Program in British Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

Reviews

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was attracted to The British Empire: Sunrise to Sunset by Philippa Levine's name, whose Prostitution, Race and Politics: Policing Venereal Disease in the British Empire is among the most interesting and detailed books on a specific imperial issue I have read to date. The initial introduction--promising an examination of the empire by region and ethnicity more than a strict chronology--also intrigued me. However, this examination of the overall British imperial experience proved to be a profound disappoint that bore little in common with Levine's earlier work.

Levine brushes through the majority of imperial history with a profoundly broad and overly simple brush, rushing through the empire's history from the eighteenth century to the late Victorian era in a matter of a few chapters. The book assumes a considerable prior knowledge of the imperial experience, referencing some terse citations at the end of each chapter as a insufficient way for less knowledgeable readers to try and bridge the gap, and clearly assumes a complete prior knowledge of the American Revolution (given that it is the subject of barely a page and a half of relatively appalling reduction in the book's third chapter). It omits considerable details for the sake of expedience, which sets poorly considering the detail lavished on some other chapters.

Levine does perform quite well in the three chapters that examine the impact of the empire on its metropolitan center (specifically the Britons that settled or participated in imperial overseas administration), the impact of the empire on indigenous populations and cultures, and the issues of gender and sexuality for both larger groups within the empire, respectively. However, these are issues where Levine's earlier scholarship are beyond dispute. Some equal success can be found on the chapter about resistance to colonialism and the rise of nationalist movements (for the dominions, India, and the various colonial states) although this gives way to a final chapter on decolonization that espouses the complicated nature of this modern process before spending less than 20 pages simplifying to the point it reads like the British Empire collapsed within a fortnight.

The book is not horrible, and Levine does offer some excellent insights as well as a robust and equally excellent list of further reading materials. There are simple resources that offer a far more developed and sound examination of the empire. I cannot help but feel that this book is possible evidence for the tyrannical need to publish that so often seeds historical scholarship with some work of inferior quality even from superior scholars.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid, concise and accessible. it would have been very useful if i had read it back when i was doing my english studies degree (it HAS been useful later on!). it is not the author's fault if i forgot that i was reading it and then took over three years to finish it.

[Zach McSwain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A noteworthy survey of the British Empire starting from its origins of suturing together the British Isles and ending with its eventual dissolve in the mid-20th century. Levine doles out ample attention to the various aspects and locations of the empire while subtly arguing in favor of its meticulously planned expansion. She also provides a significant amount of womens' history throughout the text -- reflective of her larger corpus of work. A good start to studying the British Empire and certainly a smooth read.

[Vicky P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent survey work of the period.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it. Hard to talk about an Empire that spanned over 500 years in less than 300 words but the author does a really good job.

[Skye Knights · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed study of the British Empire which provides insights into all aspects of the period.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent and compact survey of the British Empire, ideal for an introduction to the history of the British Isles or the British Empire as a whole. While Levine's book is by no means exhaustive, it does offer a strong overview of the major events which, in her view, shaped the establishment of the British Empire as one of the most powerful forces in world history. In a classroom setting, this book would be well-paired with more specific explorations of empire (including settler colonialism, the slave trade/plantation society, economy, migration, metropole-periphery relationships, etc.).

[simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best survey of the British Empire I have ever seen. It's so concise and accessible, but it really takes on some of the current theories of Empire history with rigor, without losing sight of giving an overview of the empire itself. With race and gender always at the forefront, I would hope that professors that teach classes about the British empire would use this as a framework.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great starting point for an introduction into the British Empire, lacks the depth that other texts might have

[Tobi ﾄﾋﾞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favourites to read on this topic. great for referencing,