Unlikely Allies: Britain, America and the Victorian Origins of the Special Relationship

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Very Distant Cousins Chapter 1: The War Both Sides Won Chapter 2: Who Reads an American Book? Chapter 3: Trade, Immigration and the Transfer of Capital and Technology.  Chapter 4: Taking Liberties and Beacons of Freedom Chapter 5: Squabbles and Squalls: The Scramble for North America and the Diplomatic Relationship from 1815 to 1860 Chapter 6: John Bull, Cousin Jonathan and Johnny Reb: Great Britain and the American Civil War, 1860-65 Chapter 7: The Road to Rapprochement: Anglo-American Diplomatic Relations from 1865 to the First World War Chapter 8: Arguing Affinities; Debating Differences: British Politics and the United States in the Later Nineteenth Century Chapter 9: Towards a Transatlantic Culture Conclusion: Closer Cousins?  Index

About the Author :
Duncan Andrew Campbell's first book, English Public Opinion and the American Civil War, was nominated for the 2004 Lincoln Prize. His most important work before that was The American Civil War, Literary Sources and Documents (2000) which he co-edited with Jon Roper. Besides publishing in Anglo-American relations, he has taught in the department of American Studies, University of Wales Swansea since 1998. He has commented on current US affairs on the BBC and acted as advisor to programmes about the American Civil War. He currently resides in Washington DC.

Review :
"This is an intriguing study that shows the 'special relationship' is still in a state of flux."- Good Book Guide, 2008 "The book explodes myths... [Campbell] argues fluently that 'whatever each had gained, they had, at least, not taken it from the other.' This entertaining and illuminating book shows the process developing, often with two steps forward and one step back, until they drew together, as that which they shared gradually outweighed that which divided them." - Jon Latimer in History Today, 2008 Title mentioned in article by the author in Yorkshire Post, 2008. 'Unlikely Allies presents a well-written overview of its subject that offers newcomers a thorough introduction.' - Victorian Studies "Unlikely Allies is an important corrective to the many less critically grounded studies of Anglo-American relations." British Scholar Journal, September 2008. "Campbell (Univ. of Wales, Swansea) describes considerable hostility at the start, deriving from lingering bitterness over the War of 1812 and repeated US threats to annex Canada. Nevertheless, Campbell firmly debunks the idea that a substantial sector of the British ruling classes was eager to support the Confederacy in the US Civil War... Eventual rapprochement between the two nations came, Campbell suggests, through personal contacts, especially literary ones, and economic factors, including an Anglo-American copyright agreement. Well written, well researched, and inexpensive, this is an attractive choice as a "middle book" in survey courses on British history since 1688. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries." -J. R. Breihan, CHOICE, February 2009 'A lot of apple-carts are overthrown in this engaging book when it comes to Anglo-American influences and relations. It [raises] interesting questions.' - Contemporary Review Review in The International History Review, September 2009