First published in 1983, Britain, Europe and the World 1850-1986 examines the history of Britain's international situation and foreign policy in relation to her domestic circumstances from the middle of the nineteenth century to the late twentieth century to provide answers to the following questions, among others: What did it mean for Britain to be 'a great power' in the nineteenth century? Why is she no longer one? Could anything have been done to prevent her 'decline'? It is an unusual interpretation, undermining many of the most pervasive present-day myths about Britain's past. Some of its conclusions will be unexpected. The reissue contains a new preface in which the author brings the reader up to date with the changes Britain has gone through since the book was first published. It has been written for students of British history and diplomacy at all levels, and for anyone interested in finding out why the British have come to be where they find themselves now.

Bernard Porter