The World's First Superpower: The Rise of the British Empire from 1497 to 1901

by Denis Judd

This course will examine the growth and development of the largest empire in world history - the British Empire - beginning with the late 15th century Tudor dynasty in England and ending with the death of the Queen-Empress Victoria in 1901.By the beginning of the 20th century, there were very few countries or people who had not been affected, one way or another, by the impact of the British. The Empire itself by then covered over a quarter of the world's land surface, the Royal Navy dominated the oceans, and one in every four human beings lived under British rule.

Yet despite all of this global power and the emergence of Britain by the beginning of the nineteenth century as the world's first true superpower, the British Empire had very humble, small-scale origins.

In the course, we shall proceed chronologically, but also look more closely at particular themes and countries. The course will not provide a fully comprehensive survey, an enormous task anyway; rather, we shall seek to uncover and understand the essential historical truths about this mightiest of empires.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Denis Judd was born in Northamptonshire in 1938 and educated in a village primary school before passing the 'Eleven Plus' and entering the local grammar school. He won a State Scholarship to Oxford, where he took his first degree in Modern History at Magdalen College, going on to study for a PhD at London University, on: 'A. J. Balfour and the evolution and problems of the British Empire 1874-1906.' He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

He has been Head of History, and is now Professor Emeritus of Imperial and Commonwealth History, at the London Metropolitan University. In his research, writing and broadcasting he has specialised in the British Empire and Commonwealth, especially South Africa and India. He has also written extensively on British history, on aspects of the monarchy, and among his biographies is the authorised life of the children’s author Alison Uttley.

Reviews

[Sól Kalika]

This book is lame. The data provided on English politics and world affairs is feeble, conventional, and sounds more like a Wikipedia article than any sort of intelligent interpretation of events. His completely conventional account, all from the perspective of a priest of the modern liberal-democratic religion, is both wrong and boring. This is nothing but a hackjob with some shitty anti-white propaganda. This man should be fired, he is a parasite on the British people.

[Aaronb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff. I liked the parts on Australia esp the Irish connection, British India and the South Africa sell-out by the British! Lecturer's style is crisp and easy to listen to, looking forward to part 2.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series was ok. I didnt feel like I got a huge amount out of it though - long broad strokes rather than in-depth detail? But it was ok and the presenter obviously knew his topic well.

[Joe Harrington]

Very basic overview