List of illustrations; Introduction; 1. Empires constructed and contested; 2. Empires in crisis: two world wars; 3. The imperialism of decolonisation; 4. Neo-colonialism, new global empire; 5. Colonising in reverse and colonialist backlash; 6. Europe: in or out?; 7. Islamism and the retreat to monocultural nationalism; 8. Hubris and nemesis: Iraq, the colonial fracture and global economic crisis; 9. The empire strikes back; 10. Fantasy, anguish and working through; Conclusion; Acknowledgements; Notes; Bibliography; Index.
Prize-winning historian Robert Gildea dissects the legacy of empire for the former colonial powers and their subjects.
Robert Gildea is Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford. He has written extensively on French and European history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Among the many awards his publications have garnered, Fighters in the Shadows: A New History of the French Resistance (2015) was longlisted for the Samuel Johnson prize and Marianne in Chains: In Search of the German Occupation (2003) won the 2003 Wolfson History Prize.
'Empires of the Mind is a uniquely valuable account of the fate of
the French and British empires.' William Roger Louis, University of
Texas
'Accessibly written and genuinely comparative, Robert Gildea's new
analysis of the lingering effects and bitter aftershocks of British
and French colonialism is essential reading for anyone keen to
understand where legacies of empire register in contemporary
politics. A terrific read.' Martin Thomas, author of Fight or
Flight: Britain, France and their Roads from Empire
'Empires of the Mind is an exhilarating comparative survey of
British and French self-regard from competitive collaboration in
the hecatombs of slavery, through Suez in 1956, to responses to
immigrants from ex-colonies, Islamic fundamentalism and Brexit.
Among many startling quotes we read Nigel Farage claiming Brits are
different from Europeans. Robert Gildea shows that we are too
alike.' Anthony Barnett, founder of openDemocracy
'The past never remains in the past, Robert Gildea skilfully
reminds us as he recounts the brutal histories of both British and
French colonial and neo-colonial ventures. This is a book that
insists on the connections between what happens/ed 'out there' and
what happens/ed 'in here' and helps us to think through that
complex and dangerous entanglement, which continues to inform our
contemporary politics today.' Catherine Hall, author of Civilising
Subjects: Metropole and Colony in the English Imagination
1830–1867
'Gildea uses a comparative approach to examine the legacy of empire
in France and Britain … both countries desperately hoped to
preserve their empires, fiercely resisted decolonization, and
frequently intervened to keep former colonies as dependencies. … In
France, the long shadow of the Algerian conflict, racism, and an
emphasis on secular republican values led to a reassertion of
colonial rule in the banlieues. Despite Britain's avowed
multiculturalism, its formerly colonized subjects faced
segregation, exclusion, and violence at the hands of former
colonizers. Alienated from both their adopted nation and their
country of origin and enraged by the US's neo-imperialist 'war on
terror', many in Europe's immigrant community embraced Islam. A
radicalized minority turned to jihad and terrorist violence. … the
dubious but apparently widespread belief that Brexit would enable
Britain to restore its free-trade empire supports Gildea's thesis
that the past remains disturbingly present. Highly recommended.' P.
C. Kennedy, Choice
'A valuable and shaming book.' Lucy Beckett, The Tablet
'… [Empires of the Mind] can … be profitably read for its extensive
comparative account of the British and French empires and their
afterlives … highly accessible.' Richard Toye, Journal of British
Studies
'A grand narrative that tracks the resurgence of imperial and
neo-colonial thinking since the end of the Cold War, which has
provoked increased military interventions in the global South, the
growing stigmatization of immigrant populations in the West, and
the delusions of grandeur that have accompanied our own debates
around Brexit.' Sudhir Hazareesingh, Times Literary Supplement
'… a stimulating and inspiring read …' Patricia Lorcin, Journal of
Modern History
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