Imperial Citizenship: Empire and the Question of Belonging

Imperial Citizenship: Empire and the Question of Belonging. Daniel Gorman. Manchester University Press. [pounds sterling]50.00. xi + 243 pages. ISBN 978-0-7190-7529-7. In this study Mr Gorman examines the writings of five men who looked at the inner workings of the British Empire in the early twentieth century.

What was the relation between parts and centre or, in other words, what was 'imperial citizenship'? What did it mean to be British? How disparate could the Empire's people be whilst yet remaining British? He looks at Lionel Curtis, John Buchan, Arnold White (the 'theorists' of empire) and then at Richard Jebb (who supported imperial confederation as against London domination) and Thomas Sedgwick (who worked for greater emigration to maintain a common identity). At the end of the day all these efforts to define and maintain an 'imperial citizenship' were, in the author's views, virtually to disappear as national identifications grew. This is an interesting look at a significant period in modem British, and world, history. (E.B.)

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