Britain and the World since 1945

Alasdair Blair is Professor and Head of Department of Historical and Social Studies at De Montfort University. He is the author of a number of Longman titles, including The European Union Since 1945 (SSH, 2005) and The Longman Companion to the European Union Since 1945 (1999).

'Alasdair Blair's clear and informative introduction to post-war British foreign policy will be the ideal basic text for all students working in the area. Its mix of historical discussion, original documents and reference materials provides a solid grounding across the broad range of London's political engagement with the world.' - John W. Young, Chair of International History, University of Nottingham, UK'Offering a clear, concise and informed survey of British foreign policy from Yalta 1945 to Afghanistan, the EU and Syria 2013, Alasdair Blair's wide-ranging text plus selected documents illuminates the continuities and changes in policy resulting from operating in an ever-changing and increasingly complex domestic and international environment. The book's content, most notably Blair's coverage of the impact of both variations in power and competing interests across government, business and party, provides a welcome historical perspective for present-day debates about Britain's current and future role in Europe and the wider world.' - Peter J. Beck, Emeritus Professor of International History, Kingston University, UK

• Acknowledgements. Maps. Abbreviations. Chronology. Who's Who. Glossary. 1: The Rise and Fall of the British Empire: 1496-1945 The Birth of the British Empire. Workshop of the World. Scramble for Africa. The challenge of Empire. The impact of war. The interwar years. Total war. 2: The Early Post-War Years: 1945-1955 The post-war settlement. Pressures for reform. World War to Cold War. Tension and conflict. Choices and decisions. European questions. The end of Empire. Reviewing the balance sheet. 3: The Limitations of Power: 1955-1970 The 1956 Suez Crisis. Searching for a role. Economic challenges and world visions. The nuclear option. Trimming the sales. Winds of change. Reluctantly European. The first application. The second application. 4: Finding a Way: 1970-79 Changing fortunes. Joining Europe. Adapting to new realities. Eurosclerosis. Renegotiation and referendum. Challenges and turmoil. 5: Resurgence: 1979-90 Economic restructuring. Empire legacies. The Falklands factor. Cold-War warrior. European diplomacy. Grappling with Europe. On the sidelines of Europe. 6: Post-Cold War Order: 1990-1997 New World Order. Britain and the Gulf War. The hour of Europe. Maastricht mutiny. European disunity. 7: Transformed World: 1997-2013 Ethics and intervention. Doctrine of the international community. New world disorder. European visions. Euro crisis. 8: Assessment Reviewing the balance sheet. The European conundrum. The future direction of British foreign policy. Documents