The Empire and its Critics, 1899-1939 - Classics of Imperialism (Hardcover)

The eight books reprinted in this set played an influential role in defining attitudes and expectations about Imperialism on the British Left in the 20th century and are vital in understanding the transition from the liberal anti-imperialism of the 19th century to the more overtly socialist critiques of the 20th. In particular, they chart the emergence of British theories of financial Imperialism, which was inspired initially by the South African crisis and the Boer war of 1899-1902 and subsequently generalized and refined in the face of world war and the rise of facism. They were also important in disseminating new ideas about the pace and nature of colonial economic development which began to influence British imperial practice between the wars. The authors, who include Leonard Woolf and Ramsey MacDonald, were all men of widespread influence whether as journalists, academics, civil servants or even active politicians: three became members of Parliament, with Ramsey MacDonald becoming the first Labour Prime Minister in 1924.