"Blue-Water Empire" is Robert Holland's magnificent narrative of Britain's military and cultural ties with the Mediterranean Sea, in the style of the epic naval histories of N. A. M. Rodger. Britain has been a major presence in the Mediterranean from the Battle of the Nile to the end of empire, as both a military and a colonising force on the islands and coastlines of the sea. Robert Holland traces the fascinating story of that presence, from its legacies in culture, language and law to the Mediterranean's own influence on ...
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"Blue-Water Empire" is Robert Holland's magnificent narrative of Britain's military and cultural ties with the Mediterranean Sea, in the style of the epic naval histories of N. A. M. Rodger. Britain has been a major presence in the Mediterranean from the Battle of the Nile to the end of empire, as both a military and a colonising force on the islands and coastlines of the sea. Robert Holland traces the fascinating story of that presence, from its legacies in culture, language and law to the Mediterranean's own influence on Britain. Evoking the conflicts and contrasts between British and local societies caught up in dramatic events, as well as their mutual resilience under pressure, "Blue Water Empire" charts with vigour, flair and clarity the British experience in the Mediterranean in the age of empire. Reviews: "An important corrective to current historical amnesia ...the definitive account of Anglo-Mediterranean history for years to come" (Amanda Foreman, "New Statesman"). "A rich and readable account of the British in the Middle Sea...As Holland's learned, lucid and enjoyable work makes clear, many British politicians saw the Mediterranean as the pre-eminent global strategic arena, representing the key to victory in Europe and Asia". (Dominic Sandbrook, "Sunday Times"). "This is an important subject, and it has never before been drawn together into a single coherent narrative..."Blue-Water Empire" puts the land, not the sea, at the heart of the story". ("Literary Review"). "Robert Holland's masterly history of the Mediterranean is a pleasure to read. "Blue-Water Empire" shows how Britain's mastery of the Middle Sea shaped the modern world, whilst reminding us how profoundly the Mediterranean has influenced the British". (Simon Ball (author of "The Bitter Sea: The Struggle for Mastery in the Mediterranean, 1935-1949")). "Lively and absorbing". (Philip Mansel, "Spectator"). About the author: Robert Holland is one of the world's leading historians of the Mediterranean and the author of "Britain and the Revolt in Cyprus, 1954-59", and (with Diana Markides) "The British and the Hellenes: Struggles for Mastery in the Eastern Mediterranean, 1850-1960". He holds professorial positions at the Centre for Hellenic Studies in King's College London and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies in the same University.
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Seller's Description:
Very good in very good dust jacket. 464 p. Contains: Unspecified. Includes Unspecified. Audience: General/trade. Hardcover Cloth 439 pages. Condition Very Good Dust Jacket Very Good. Presumed First edition 2012. Attractive grey boards and silver embossing shows off this Clean, tight, square copy with no marks, highlights or bookplates. Book Well kept and carefully stored in unread condition. Slight shelf wear with undamaged corners. An unclipped dust jacket smooth, clean and brilliant with slight shelf wear-a few stains, wrinkles and chips. Not an ex-library, book club or remainder copy. Robert Holland traces the remarkable experience of British mastery in the Mediterranean from the Battle of the Nile to El Alamein and the end of empire, exploring the unique and often explosive relationships that shaped the region's modern history. For nearly two hundred years the Mediterranean lay at the heart of British power overseas-what Winston Churchill called 'Britain's first battlefield'. Here many thousands of Britons spent their lives, their graves now scattered from Gibraltar to Corfu, from Malta to Cyprus. British mastery of the seaways and surrounding shores, symbolized by the possession of fortress colonies, attracted enemies and rivals but became part of the enduring fabric of many Mediterranean societies. Robert Holland's sweeping new book tells the story of an extraordinary experience combining the military imposition of British rule with a constant enthusiasm for Mediterranean life enduring today, and which has left many legacies in administration, culture, language, law and architecture. From Nelson's great victories against the French to El Alamein and the Malta convoys of the Second World War, the Mediterranean shaped Britain's own fate as much as Britain shaped the future of the Mediterranean. Blue-Water Empire evokes the conflicts and frequent disillusionment between the British and local societies caught up in often dramatic events, but also their mutual intimacy, hopefulness and resilience under pressure. Above all, it charts the British experience of the Mediterranean, and the Mediterranean experience of the British, in the age of empire.
