The End of the British Empire

Within twenty years of victory in the Second World War Britain had
ceased to be a world power and her global empire has dissolved into
fragments. With what now seems astonishing rapidity, and empire
three centuries old, which had reached its greatest extent as late
as 1921, was transformed into more than fifty sovereign states. Why
did this great transformation come about? Had Britain simply become
too weak in a world of superpowers? Had the pressure of colonial
nationalism suddenly become overwhelming? Or had the British
themselves decided that they no longer needed an empire, and that
interests were better served by joining the rich man's club of
Europe?

In this short book, these and other theories are examined
critically. The aim is not to present a detailed narrative of
Britain's imperial retreat but to introduce the reader to the
current state of debate in a rapidly expanding subject.