Geographies of Empire
European Empires and Colonies c.1880–1960

'This is a big and impressive work on a big and impressive subject, placing historical geography at the very center of the study of imperialisms. It covers the fragile and broken peaks reached by European 'high imperialism,' a 'grotesque mixture of savagery and farce,' in the run-up to World War One, and its precipitate collapse thereafter. Butlin also engages with gender issues and with the peripheries as well as the centers, demonstrating how transportation and communication, the main European tools of colonization and exploitation, were also the tools of resistance and de-colonization.' Peter Hugill, Texas A&M University

'Robin Butlin's Geographies of Empire does a great service for all those concerned with the historical geography of European empires from the advent of the new imperial age in the 1880s to the decolonisation movements of the 1960s. The reader has set before them a unique comparative examination of all Europe's imperial powers across an impressive range of geographical themes; including exploration, mapping, environment, transport, land use and urbanisation. The broad sweep of empire's geographies has never been so fully and accessibly surveyed as it is in this book.' Miles Ogborn, Queen Mary, University of London

'Because of its breadth, this book does work as a kind of textbook which would be of particular value for undergraduate and MA courses on the history of Empire. For that readership, it offers a solid overview of the colonial period with a particular emphasis on aspects of colonialism that fall within the parameters of what might loosely be called geography. A great deal of the literature on empire is also summarised and thoughtfully presented … this is an impressively erudite and knowledgeable book.' Michael Collins, University College London

'This is a book of breathtaking scale that seeks to explain imperialism as a global phenomenon and through carefully chosen vignettes demonstrates its character, strengths and especially weaknesses. It should be essential reading for teachers and students of the subject.' The Historian

'… this is a seminal work …' Choice

'Without doubt, Robin Butlin must be congratulated for having assembled a uniquely accessible comparison of Europe's imperial powers, their impact on colonial territories, and the impact of those territories on European nations.' Annales de Géographie

'Geography's tertiary-level teachers and students will derive great value from this timely reference text.' Joseph Powell, The Australian Geographer

'As one of the premier scholars in historical geography, Butlin has produced another remarkable contribution to the fields of both history and geography.' World History Bulletin

'This is a work of deep learning about and an obvious familiarity with a vast literature on the historic course of European colonialism from the medieval period to the recent past. The book is clearly organized and extremely well-written. It will pay reading by all those with even the slightest interest in the historical geography of European colonialism and its continuing effects around the world into the present day. I see little possibility any day soon of a book's appearing that will challenge this one as the essential synthetic survey of its subject.' John Agnew, Journal of Historical Geography

'… brings together the work of scholars in different fields (history, geography, anthropology) to demonstrate some of the key ideas in studying colonialism today … This volume could be used successfully as a text for a course on colonialism or decolonisation in a history or geography syllabus.' Itinerario

'… the breadth of coverage is so wide that almost all readers will find a great deal that is new to them.' Journal of Interdisciplinary History

'Butlin's book is a masterly synthesis of an impressive body of published writing about imperialism and how it remade the world … Order this book for your library: it is a key reference about one of the foundations of the modern world.' South African Geographical Journal

'… this book has great value in the fields of geography, historical geography and colonial studies. Its clarity and breadth offers readers a uniquely geographic perspective to colonialism.' Canadian Geographer

'The success of the book is strongly based on the fact that it is a summation of the lifetime work of a highly experienced scholar … It can usefully take its place on the reference shelf of all who share an interest in late 19th and 20th century imperialism.' John MacKenzie, The Round Table