Chapter 19
Understanding Britain’s Place in the World
In This Chapter
Moving from empire to somewhere in the middle
Getting into bed with the European Union
Maintaining a special relationship with the United States
Reckoning with China
Heading up the Commonwealth of Nations
Policing the world
Britain may be an island but it has always engaged with the rest of the world, from the days of exploration and empire through to the export of British music and culture.
In this chapter I take an honest look at Britain’s relationship with its close neighbours in Europe and further afield to the former colonies, the rising powerhouse China and, of course, the United States.
Declining Fortunes: From Empire to the Middle Ranks
If you find yourself an old atlas – and I’m talking early 20th century, here – and turn to a map of the world, you see an awful lot of countries coloured in pink – India, ...
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