'This is an impressive work examining the 'modes of thought' which Victorians described as anti-imperialist, although, as Mira Matikkala argues, 'anti-imperialism' as such was a fluid coalition of individuals and distinct pressure groups. Focussing on three areas - economics, ethics and the nature of progress and party politics, this book challenges the 'orientalist' paradigms about British culture and explores the ... Read moreinteraction and cooperation between anti-imperialists of diverse political and philosophical inclination. Matikkala argues that late-Victorian political culture was far richer, more fragmented and contradictory than modern critics of orientalism have been prepared to accept.' - Eugenio Biagini, Reader in Modern British Political History, University of Cambridge; 'Late 19th century British anti-imperialism has been a neglected topic recently, partly because of the widespread assumption in some quarters that there wasn't any, and partly because of the fashion for teasing out its opposite 'imperialist' sentiment in every area of British life. In this book, Mira Matikkala provides the first full treatment of a number of thinkers who were clearly influential in the late 19th century, but have not been given credit for this by later historians, among them Herbert Spencer, Wilfred Scawen Blunt, J.M Robertson, Frederic Harrison and many more. Matikkala unearths some fascinating late-Victorian thought and activity, approaches it refreshingly and discusses it sensitively. Her book is a fascinating read.' - Bernard Porter, Emeritus Professor of History, Newcastle University Show Less