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BRITISH DECOLONIZATION, 1946-1997
The sudden demise of arguably the world’s greatest empire in the years following the Second World War was a momentous event in global history. After nearly four centuries of colonial activity, the British relinquished their empire in a little more than twenty years.
In this comprehensive new survey, David McIntyre narrates the sequence of decolonization, summarizes the historical controversies surrounding its causes, and considers what was distinctive about the way events unfolded. The author argues that although colonial self-government had a long pedigree going back to the American colonies (and Dominion status had become a peaceful evolutionary route to independence), the upsurge of colonial nationalism after 1945 meant that policy-makers were overtaken by events. The great speed at
which the numerous dependencies in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific were relinquished is analysed and the Commonwealth since decolonization reconsidered, revealing an association displaying surprising vigour in its post-Britannic years
ISBN: 0333644379
Publisher: MACMILLAN PRESS AND ST MARTIN’S PRESS -
GLOBAL OUTRAGE
This is the first book to examine the origins and evolution of global public opinion in national and international policy-making. Written by a highly respected historian, this ground-breaking book provides case studies of world opinion in action, from the ending of apartheid in South Africa, to the protests against sweatshop practices in the early part of the 21st century. Peter Stearns also demonstrates the function and effectiveness of world opinion over the last two centuries, explaining what it is, why and how it originated, where it has succeeded and why. With a full examination of the relationship between world opinion and Islam and the protests against the 2003 Iraq war, author Peter Stearns also assesses the future possibilities of the role of world opinion.
ISBN: 185168364X
Publisher: VIVA BOOKS -
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LONG SHADOWS
Long Shadows offers a personal examination into the shifting terrain of war and memory that seeks to understand how nations come to terms with their most painful history. Her journey takes her to the United States, with its memories of slavery; to South Africa, to sit in on a Truth and Reconciliation hearing to heal the divisions of apartheid; to Japan, to probe the unresolved struggled for truth in Second World history; to France, still wrestling with its wartime legacy of collaboration; to Germany, where ferocious ‘memory battles’ continue to swirl around the Holocaust; and to the former Yugoslavia, where she exposes the cynical shaping of historical memory, and the way the international community responded to the lethal outcome.Paris takes us directly to the places of reckoning; she finds hope in the way ordinary people grapple with defining events of their lives, and in the changing face of international justice. Long Shadows illuminates the modern world and makes us question where we stand as individuals in relation to our own collective histories.
ISBN: 1582341567
Publisher: BLOOMSBURY₨ 3,434 -
MONSOON
On the world maps common in America, the Western Hemisphere lies front and center, while the Indian Ocean region all but disappears. This convention reveals the geopolitical focus of the now-departed twentieth century, but in the twenty-first century that focus will fundamentally change. In this pivotal examination of the countries known as “Monsoon Asia”–which include India, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Burma, Oman, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Tanzania–bestselling author Robert D. Kaplan shows how crucial this dynamic area has become to American power. It is here that the fight for democracy, energy independence, and religious freedom will be lost or won, and it is here that American foreign policy must concentrate if the United States is to remain relevant in an ever-changing world. From the Horn of Africa to the Indonesian archipelago and beyond, Kaplan exposes the effects of population growth, climate change, and extremist politics on this unstable region, demonstrating why Americans can no longer afford to ignore this important area of the world.
ISBN: 9780812979206
Publisher: RANDOM HOUSE -
OSMAN’S DREAM
The Ottoman chronicles recount that the first sultan, Osman, dreamt of the dynasty he would found – a tree, fully-formed, emerged from his navel, symbolising the vigour of his successors and the extent of their domains.
This is the first book to tell the full story of the Ottoman dynasty that for six centuries held sway over territories stretching, at their greatest, from Hungary to the Persian Gulf, and from North Africa to the Caucasus.
Understanding the realization of Osman’s vision is essential for anyone who seeks to understand the modern world.
ISBN: 9780719561122
Publisher: JOHN MURRAY -
THE JEWS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA IN MODERN TIMES
ISBN: 023110796X
Publisher: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS -
THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF THE SULTAN SALADIN
When Saladin recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187, returning the Holy City to Islamic rule for the first time in almost ninety years, he sent shockwaves throughout Christian Europe and the Muslim Near East that reverberate today.
It was the culmination of a supremely exciting life, fraught with challenges and contradictions but blessed occasionally with marvellous good fortune. Born into a significant Kurdish family in northern Iraq, Saladin shot to power in faraway Egypt thanks to the tutelage of his uncle. Over two decades, this warrior and diplomat fought under the banner of jihad, but at the same time worked tirelessly to build an immense dynastic empire that stretched from North Africa to Western Iraq. Gathering together a turbulent and diverse coalition he was able to capture Jerusalem, only to trigger the Third Crusade and face his greatest adversary, King Richard the Lionheart.
Drawing on a rich blend of Arabic and European sources, this is a comprehensive account of both the man and the legend to which he gave birth, describing vividly the relentless action of his life and then tracing its aftermath through culture and politics all the way to the present day. It reveals the personal qualities that explain his enduring reputation as a man of faith, generosity, mercy and justice, even while showing him to be capable of mistakes, self-interest and cruelty. After Saladin’s death, it goes on to explain how in the West this Sunni Muslim became famed for his charm and chivalric virtue, while across much of the Islamic world he stands as one of history’s greatest heroes, an inspiration to be admired and emulated. The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin shows how this one man’s life takes us beyond the crude stereotypes of the ‘Clash of Civilisations’ even while his legacy helps explain them: an intimate portrait of a towering figure of world history that is thrillingly relevant today.
ISBN: 9781847926012
Publisher: BODLEY HEAD