The Ends of Empire

‘The Ends of Empire makes a convincing case that we need a sharper lens through which to view the problems confronting overseas territories than a binary focus ‘for or against’ independence. This makes the book’s discussion of the many intermediate points between full integration and outright independence so important – and so rewarding a read.’—Professor Martin Thomas, University of Exeter
‘This book is the most complete and up-to-date study of non-sovereign territories that I have read, and being so extremely rich in detail and references, offers a significant foundation for future studies.’—Dr Wouter Veenendaal, University of Leiden
‘This substantial study updates and expands the same authors’ 1998 book, The Last Colonies. It deals with what are now known as overseas territories, not one of which has progressed to independence in the years following the first book. This book is comprehensive and learned yet written in an accessible style, appealing to students of contemporary politics and international relations as well as those involved in the burgeoning field of island studies.’—Professor Stephen A. Royle, Queen’s University Belfast
This book offers a fresh analysis of constitutional, economic, demographic and cultural developments in the overseas territories of Britain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Ranging from Greenland to Gibraltar, the Falklands to the Faroes, and encompassing islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, and the Caribbean, these territories command attention because of their unique status, and for the ways that they occasionally become flashpoints for rival international claims, dubious financial activities, illegal migration and clashes between metropolitan and local mores. Connell and Aldrich argue that a negotiated dependency brings greater benefits to these territories than might independence.