Unlikely Allies: Britain, America and the Victorian Origins of the Special Relationship (Hambledon Continuum) - Hardcover

Campbell, Duncan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1847251919 ISBN 13: 9781847251916

Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic, 2008

Synopsis

When people speak of the special relationship between the two English-speaking peoples on either side of the Atlantic, they are talking of a phenomenon not much older than Britain's 1904 entente cordial with France. The very term 'English-speaking peoples' most probably has no earlier pedigree than William Gladstone. For much of the nineteenth-century, Britain and the United States were imperial rivals in the scramble for North America, and their often difficult relationship directly reflected that reality.

That these two nations became friends and allies was never a foregone conclusion until surprisingly late in the century and the rapprochement between them only was only cemented by the First World War. At the same time, the fact the United States was a former colony and that they therefore shared a common language meant that communication between the two nations differed to that between Britain and its European rivals - something Otto Von Bismarck called the most important fact of the nineteenth century. Starting with the War of 1812 when the United States and Britain found themselves on opposite sides, continuing through prominent and obscure Britons' and Americans' views of each other, the economic and migrant links between the nations, their difficult diplomatic relationship, their later developing friendship and increasing cultural and economic ties and concluding with the First World War, this work describes and analyses the often turbulent and surprising relationship between Britain and the United States in the nineteenth century.

About this title

About the Author:

Duncan Andrew Campbell's first book, English Public Opinion and the American Civil War, was nominated for the 2004 Lincoln Prize. His most important work before that was The American Civil War, Literary Sources and Documents (2000) which he co-edited with Jon Roper. Besides publishing in Anglo-American relations, he has taught in the department of American Studies, University of Wales Swansea since 1998. He has commented on current US affairs on the BBC and acted as advisor to programmes about the American Civil War. He currently resides in Washington DC.

Review:

"This is an intriguing study that shows the 'special relationship' is still in a state of flux."- Good Book Guide, 2008

"The book explodes myths... [Campbell] argues fluently that 'whatever each had gained, they had, at least, not taken it from the other.' This entertaining and illuminating book shows the process developing, often with two steps forward and one step back, until they drew together, as that which they shared gradually outweighed that which divided them." - Jon Latimer in History Today, 2008

Title mentioned in article by the author in Yorkshire Post, 2008.

'Unlikely Allies presents a well-written overview of its subject that offers newcomers a thorough introduction.' - Victorian Studies

"Unlikely Allies is an important corrective to the many less critically grounded studies of Anglo-American relations." British Scholar Journal, September 2008.

"Campbell (Univ. of Wales, Swansea) describes considerable hostility at the start, deriving from lingering bitterness over the War of 1812 and repeated US threats to annex Canada. Nevertheless, Campbell firmly debunks the idea that a substantial sector of the British ruling classes was eager to support the Confederacy in the US Civil War... Eventual rapprochement between the two nations came, Campbell suggests, through personal contacts, especially literary ones, and economic factors, including an Anglo-American copyright agreement. Well written, well researched, and inexpensive, this is an attractive choice as a "middle book" in survey courses on British history since 1688. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries." —J. R. Breihan, CHOICE, February 2009

'A lot of apple-carts are overthrown in this engaging book when it comes to Anglo-American influences and relations. It [raises] interesting questions.' - Contemporary Review

Review in The International History Review, September 2009

“Campbell (Univ. of Wales, Swansea) describes considerable hostility at the start, deriving from lingering bitterness over the War of 1812 and repeated US threats to annex Canada. Nevertheless, Campbell firmly debunks the idea that a substantial sector of the British ruling classes was eager to support the Confederacy in the US Civil War... Eventual rapprochement between the two nations came, Campbell suggests, through personal contacts, especially literary ones, and economic factors, including an Anglo-American copyright agreement. Well written, well researched, and inexpensive, this is an attractive choice as a "middle book" in survey courses on British history since 1688. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.” –J. R. Breihan, CHOICE, February 2009

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1847251919
• ISBN 13: 9781847251916
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320