Book Review: Empire and Superempire - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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Book Review
Empire and Superempire: Britain, America and the World
Bernard Porter

There is no lack of comparison between America and Britain in the socialist-radical critiques of the current stage of US imperialism. Indeed, there are many striking similarities between the imperialism of America and Britain. However, some of the comparisons are rather superficial in the sense that they are often simply used as examples to make the point that American and British imperialism are really alike. What is lacking, however, is a more in-depth and informed discussion of the similarities as well as differences between the British Empire and the American one.

It is thus a very welcome and valuable contribution to the debate about American imperialism to have Empire and Superempire: Britain, America and the World written by a renowned scholar of British imperialism, Bernard Porter. Porter has written one of the most celebrated general histories of British imperialism: The Lion’s Share: A Short History of British Imperialism 1850-2004. There is also a personal interest in my reading and reviewing his book, as he was our guest lecture and tutor in a history course on British imperialism at my university. Porter is no radical but may be described as left liberal and not particularly ideological. But more importantly, he is a historian first and foremost who is extremely careful and balanced about historical comparison of the kind that is the subject of the present book. It thus deserves close reading.

The main purpose of Porter’s book is to clarify and dispel some of the popular misconceptions and misunderstandings of the British Empire. While comparison is often made between British and American imperialism, not all of them are accurate to say the least. Porter starts his book with a brief overview of the British Empire particularly in respect to some of the myth, for example that British Empire is particularly powerful in managing its colonies. This paves the way for his next chapter on the American imperial tradition, frequently referring back to the British imperial tradition. Similarly, the next two chapters bring them up to date and focus on the present stage of American and (the remnants of) British imperialism. Taken together, these chapters make clear the similarities as well as crucial differences between them. For American readers, the experience of British Empire certainly shutters some of the myth, for example, about US exceptionalism or that US has no empire of its own. As well as similarities, Porter has also illuminated crucial differences between them and tried to explain why they differ, for example because of the dominance of US military and economic power vis-à-vis that of the British even during its zenith.

I find Porter’s comparison very balanced. He considers a range of perspectives and takes them seriously rather than simply dismissing those opposed to his own. He does not condemn, which is really no business of a historian. So readers who hope to find an unequivocal critique of empire and imperialism may be disappointed. Though he is certainly anti-imperialist and critical of both British and American imperialism in their impacts on other societies not least including all the atrocities committed against the colonised, Porter nevertheless acknowledges some of the good things and positive aspects of empire, especially British Empire such as that they generally build education and social service in their colonies and guarantee some degree of security and freedom for the colonised. It is here one may find disagreement with some of Porter’s judgment. In any case, Porter does not at all try to justify empire and imperialism simply because there may have resulted in good things.

It is a balanced and historically informed book with very nuanced arguments that deserves careful reading and consideration, and a welcome antidote to the more rushed and superficial comparison often made between British and American imperialism especially among the Left.

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