Kut Losses
Two imperial ventures, in the same Middle East town a century apart, reveal the similarities – and differences – in the exercise of power.
Empire
The Search for Prester John
For five centuries the legend of a Christian priest king, in Asia or in Africa, sustained the hopes of Europeans in their struggle with Islam. Those who joined the search for Prester John were looking for a man who was not there.
A New Line in Empire
Though much of the West has withdrawn from empire, one of the world’s rising powers offers the latest twist on imperialism.
Everyday Life in Japan's Colonies
Japan’s vast Asian empire became home to more than a million female settlers, who told their stories in an effort to keep in contact.
Against the Grain
Sweet it may be, but sugar's story is a bitter one, embracing slavery, decay and obesity.
Warren Hastings, Governor-General of India
The foundations of modern India were laid by the British governor-general, Warren Hastings. But he paid a heavy personal price.
Imperial Designs: Cromwell's Conquest of Jamaica
The Lord Protector’s move on Jamaica transformed Britain’s early empire.
Britain’s Raj and the Chaos of Empire
An extensively researched, hard-hitting reassessment of British rule in India pulls no punches, but does not tell the whole story.
What the British Did to India
A persuasively argued but one-sided account of the economic and political failings of British rule in India.
Revolt in Madagascar
In 1947, fraught Anglo-French relations came to a head in the crucible of the Indian Ocean with the outbreak of Madagascar’s Malagasy Uprising.