
Losing an Empire, Finding a Role
British Foreign Policy Since 1945
Red Globe Press
2nd Edition
Published on 16. March 2017
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-1-137-35715-1 (ISBN)
Article exhausted; check different version
Description
Informed by Winston Churchill's famous metaphor, successive British governments have shaped their foreign policy thinking around the belief that Britain's overseas interests lie in three interlocking 'circles': in Europe, in the Commonwealth, and in the 'special relationship' across the Atlantic. Recent administrations may have updated the language in terms of 'bridges', 'hubs' and 'networks', but the notion of Britain as somehow at the centre of things remains a vital idea. In this updated edition of a classic text, David Sanders and David Patrick Houghton examine British foreign policy since 1945 through the prism of these three circles. Taking account of major developments from the ending of the Cold War, through 9/11 and the so-called War on Terror, to Britain's historic decision to leave the European Union, it provides a masterly account of Britain's changing place in the world and of the policy calculations and deeper structural factors that help explain changes in strategy.
Combining chronological narrative with careful consideration of the main theories of foreign policy analysis and international relations, this book provide a reliable and comprehensive introduction to the evolution of British external policy, including economic and defence policy, in the postwar period. Characterized by its accessible style and depth of analysis, and now fully updated in line with twenty-first century developments, Losing an Empire, Finding a Role will remain an invaluable guide to British foreign policy for students of international relations or foreign policy at any level.
Reviews / Votes
Reviews of 1st edition: '...[M]asterly and successful... a sophisticated survey of British foreign policy between 1945 and 1988 on a number of levels, combining narrative and theory in a stimulating way, well-structured, full of telling little insights, and written with great clarity.' - Bernard Porter, Political StudiesMore details
Edition
2nd ed. 2017
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 23.4 cm
Width: 15.6 cm
Weight
754 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-137-35715-1 (9781137357151)
DOI
10.1057/978-1-137-44713-5
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
01/2017
2nd Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€44.93
Shipment within 10-20 days
Previous edition

Book
06/1990
Palgrave Macmillan
€49.60
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
David Sanders is Regius Professor of Government, University of Essex
David Houghton is Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College
David Houghton is Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College
Content
Introduction 1. British Foreign Policy Traditions 2. From Potsdam To Cold War: Relations With Europe and the Superpowers, 1945-55 3. The Road To Suez: British Imperialism, 1945-56 4. The Wind of Change: The Empire Circle After 1956 5. The Search For a New Role: The European Circle After 1956 6. The Changing 'Special Relationship', 1956- 2016 7. The International Economic Dimension 8. British Defence Policy 9. The Relevance of Foreign Policy Theory 10. British Foreign Policy in the 21st Century