[M21]≫ Download The Blood Never Dried A People History of the British Empire John Newsinger Health Personal Care

The Blood Never Dried A People History of the British Empire John Newsinger Health Personal Care

Download As PDF : The Blood Never Dried A People History of the British Empire John Newsinger Health Personal Care

The Blood Never Dried A People History of the British Empire John Newsinger Health Personal Care

John Newsingers "The Blood Never Dried" might be subtitled as a "Peoples History of the British Empire" but it is nothing of the sort. What the reader will instead find is a fine piece of writing that rather than providing a linear history of the Empire, examines a number of historical episodes that starkly illuminate what under girded the Empires existence: brutality and violence.

The selection is from what is known as the second British Empire, that which existed after the loss of the American colonies during the late eighteenth century. The episodes examined are (1) Jamaica and Slavery, (2) The Irish Famine, (3) The Opium Wars in China, (4) The 1857-58 Rebellion (Mutiny) in India, (5) The Invasion of Egypt in 1882, (6) The Imperial Crisis subsequent to WW1, (7) The Palestine Revolt of the late 1930's, (8) The campaign for Indian Independence, (9) The Suez War, (10) Kenya and the Mau-Mau Insurrection, (11) Malaya's "Emergency", and (12) Britains relationship with American Imperialism.

Each chapter focussing on one of the subjects (as listed above) and also put the events described into a broader historical context, including many quotes from contemporary participants and observers. It also reminds the reader that what a vicious racist Churchill could be, not least in relation to Iraq (where he spoke up for gassing recalcitrant tribes) and India (where even his viceroy in India was appalled at his callous response to the Bengal Famine that cost millions of Indian lives). Those who have fond memories of Old Labour will be disturbed to discover that one area of continuity between New and Old is foreign policy. Ernest Bevin, Herbert Morrison and even Clement Atlee were quite as capable of carrying out brutal imperial policies as their Conservative opponents. Each episode also includes some commentary on how orthodox histories, and biographies, have dealt with the history that Newsinger brings to the reader, giving them an idea of the paucity and partiality of much historical writing on this subject. The only source of irritation, albeit minor, was Newsingers pigeon-holing of every insurrection, uprising, rebellion, etc as "revolutionary".

"The Blood Never Dried" is an excellent introduction to the reality of the British Empire. It is far from exhaustive, it could easily be three or four times the size, but one that is an ideal riposte to some of the recent boosters of Empire, from Niall Ferguson (soon to revamp the history curriculum) to Tony Blair, Andrew Roberts to Gordon Brown, and all too many more. Well recommended.


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The Blood Never Dried A People History of the British Empire John Newsinger Health Personal Care Reviews

A pity it doesn't cover the complete takeover of Australia, and the genocides that occurred here.
The "People's History" series has a well-deserved reputation, even if it is not a coordinated undertaking by any particular publisher. This book does not diminish that reputation. "The Blood Never Dried" is a people's history of the British Empire, and as such is an overdue critical, systematic examination of the litany of crimes, murders, and exploitations of all parts of the world undertaken under the banner of the Union Jack. At the risk of repeating other reviewers, the book examines in order (1) Jamaica and slavery, (2) the Irish famine, (3) the Opium Wars and Taiping Rebellion (though not the Boxers), (4) the Sepoy Rebellion, (5) the colonization of Egypt, (6) WWI, (7) the settling and revolt of interwar Palestine, (8) Indian independence, (9) the Suez Crisis, (10) the Mau-Mau Rebellion, (11) the suppression of the revolt in Malaya, and (12) Britains relationship with American imperialism. In all of these cases, the author John Newsinger portrays without bloodlust but with great gravity and seriousness the enormities and crimes committed by and through imperialism, from widespread famines to systematic torture, murder, and repression. As Newsinger makes clear by this comparative process, there is no imperialism, whether 19th or 21st century, that can do without these elements it was ever thus.

In each case too the author makes clear how the peoples of the colonized and imperialized countries rebelled against and resisted imperialism. He emphasizes quite rightly two very important things first, that the narrative of Britain (or other Western countries for that matter) 'granting' independence out of the goodness of their enlightened hearts is so much mythology and dressing-up of what were in each and every case the powerful agency of local people throwing off the imperial yoke, much to the dismay and against the military efforts of the British state. Secondly, he points out how from the very start the Labour Party was as happily a participant in the imperialist venture as its Liberal and Tory opponents, and how from the very start Labour Party leaders preferred safeguarding by force the interests of British capital abroad over the global interests of oppressed people. Even such holy cows as Clement Attlee and Herbert Morrison, never mind Tony Blair, were as enthusiastic participants in repressing and exploiting people abroad as ever was a Churchill or a Lloyd George. Finally, Newsinger gives some due attention to the conflict within British ruling class opinion over the right post-imperial strategy the conflict between those with mainly European interests, and those with mainly global interests. The former support a strategy of European integration and counterbalancing American power with European power (effectively in alliance with France), the latter support Britain's vassalage to the United States, dressed up as a "special relationship". As the author points out, only one government since WWII has attempted the former route (Edward Heath); the Atlanticists are generally firmly in the saddle.

The book is very lucidly written and makes for good, if not pleasant, reading. If one must criticize, there are but two elements that might have been emphasized more first, the history of resistance against the British Empire within Britain itself, which is now virtually absent; and secondly, some more economic analysis of the benefits of Empire and its role in enabling current and past British power and prosperity. After all, Newsinger does point out in the chapter on Malaya that this seemingly minor struggle involved the British monopoly on exploiting Malaysian rubber, which was at the time worth more than all British domestic industrial production combined. More of such, and its implications for Britain, would have been nice. As it stands though, this is an excellent companion to British imperial history for any critical reader, and one of several useful counterparts to the recently revived Empire apologia.
John Newswinger decodes Anglophile rhetoric which glorifies the true costs of British Imperilialism.......

> "Giving independence to India" was the result of a long anti-colonial struggle. After WWII the British could not maintain control. PR spin would like the world to beleive all was done on British terms i.e.,coaching Indians to "govern themselves".

> Until the late 50's, Struggles ensued between the British & US over control of colonial possessions. Attempts were made to develop nuclear weapons independent from US technology. The Brits gave the program up & allied thmesleves with the USA. Often mainstream british/american Historians depict the struggle as a Cold War Struggle USA V USSR e.g., Nasser was intitially supported by the CIA to depose British puppet King Farouk.

Newswinder sites several case studies of British rule,including Ireland, Middle East, the Carribean & Africa

Very interesting read. I highly recommend this book. Lessons could be learned for the future of Pax Americana as well. If history tells us anything Empires always fall & create an unstable environment with violence & instability.
John Newsingers "The Blood Never Dried" might be subtitled as a "Peoples History of the British Empire" but it is nothing of the sort. What the reader will instead find is a fine piece of writing that rather than providing a linear history of the Empire, examines a number of historical episodes that starkly illuminate what under girded the Empires existence brutality and violence.

The selection is from what is known as the second British Empire, that which existed after the loss of the American colonies during the late eighteenth century. The episodes examined are (1) Jamaica and Slavery, (2) The Irish Famine, (3) The Opium Wars in China, (4) The 1857-58 Rebellion (Mutiny) in India, (5) The Invasion of Egypt in 1882, (6) The Imperial Crisis subsequent to WW1, (7) The Palestine Revolt of the late 1930's, (8) The campaign for Indian Independence, (9) The Suez War, (10) Kenya and the Mau-Mau Insurrection, (11) Malaya's "Emergency", and (12) Britains relationship with American Imperialism.

Each chapter focussing on one of the subjects (as listed above) and also put the events described into a broader historical context, including many quotes from contemporary participants and observers. It also reminds the reader that what a vicious racist Churchill could be, not least in relation to Iraq (where he spoke up for gassing recalcitrant tribes) and India (where even his viceroy in India was appalled at his callous response to the Bengal Famine that cost millions of Indian lives). Those who have fond memories of Old Labour will be disturbed to discover that one area of continuity between New and Old is foreign policy. Ernest Bevin, Herbert Morrison and even Clement Atlee were quite as capable of carrying out brutal imperial policies as their Conservative opponents. Each episode also includes some commentary on how orthodox histories, and biographies, have dealt with the history that Newsinger brings to the reader, giving them an idea of the paucity and partiality of much historical writing on this subject. The only source of irritation, albeit minor, was Newsingers pigeon-holing of every insurrection, uprising, rebellion, etc as "revolutionary".

"The Blood Never Dried" is an excellent introduction to the reality of the British Empire. It is far from exhaustive, it could easily be three or four times the size, but one that is an ideal riposte to some of the recent boosters of Empire, from Niall Ferguson (soon to revamp the history curriculum) to Tony Blair, Andrew Roberts to Gordon Brown, and all too many more. Well recommended.