Book details

Book description

The British Empire has generally been seen as a racist empire (most influentially in Edward Said's ORIENTALISM). While not wholly denying this, Cannadine, in this funny, often horrifying book, suggests a different dynamic. The British rulers were motivated not by race but by class - they loathed Indians or Africans no more or less than they loathed the great majority of Englishmen, dreaming of an empire based on deference and feudalism. The often farcical gap between these views and reality make ORNAMENTALISM both highly enjoyable and extremely provocative for anyone wishing to understand how the British Empire really worked. David Cannadine is the Director of the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London. His previous books include THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH ARISTOCRACY; and CLASS IN BRITAIN. He is the general editor of the Penguin History of Britain and The Penguin History of Europe and is Penguin Press' history advisor.