Distant Drums: The Role of Colonies in British Imperial Warfare

"Distant Drums" reveals how colonies were central to the defence of the British Empire and the command of the oceans that underpinned it. It blends sweeping overviews of the nature of imperial defence with grass-roots explanations of how individual colonies were mobilised for war, drawing on the author's specialist knowledge of the Indian Ocean and colonies such as Bechuanaland, Ceylon, Mauritius, and Swaziland. This permits the full and dramatic range of action involved in imperial warfare -- from policy-makers and military planners in Whitehall to chiefs recruiting soldiers in African villages -- to be viewed as part of an interconnected whole. After examining the martial reasons for acquiring colonies, the book considers the colonial role in the First World War. It then turns to the Second World War, documenting the recruitment of colonial soldiers, their manifold roles in British military formations, and the impact of war upon colonial home fronts. It reveals the problems associated with the use of colonial troops far from home, and the networks used to achieve the mobilisation of a global empire, such as those formed by colonial governors and regional naval commanders. The book is an important contribution to our understanding of the role of British colonies in twentieth-century warfare. The defence of empire has traditionally been associated with the military endeavours of Britain and the 'white' Dominions, with the Indian Army sometimes in the background. This book champions the crucial role played by the other parts of the British Empire -- the sixty or so colonies spread across the globe -- in delivering victory during the world wars of the twentieth century.

Table of Contents:
Preface; The British Colonial Empire & Imperial Warfare; The Role of Colonies in Imperial Defence; The Evolution of a Martial Colony: Ceylon, 1760 to 1960; The First World War in the Indian Ocean Region; The First World War in a Colonial Backwater: The Bechuanaland Protectorate & the Caprivi Strip; Recruiting Colonial Soldiers: Mauritius & the High Commission Territories; The Military Contribution of High Commission Territories Soldiers During the Second World War; Unrest Among African Soldiers in the British Army During the Second World War; The 1st Battalion the Mauritius Regiment, Madagascar, 1943: The Archaeology of a Colonial Mutiny; Ceylon, Mauritius, & the Indian Ocean During the Second World War; 'A Prodigy of Skill & Organisation': British Imperial Networks & the Second World War; Colonial Governors & the Second World War; Conclusion; Index.

About the Author :
Ashley Jackson is forging a reputation as a leading historian of the British Empire and World War II. After eight years at Mansfield College, Oxford he moved to King's College London in 2004.

Review :
"Distant Drums is Ashley Jackson's latest attempt to integrate 20th century conflict into the history of the British Empire. . . . Jackson argues that the colonial empire was at the very heart of imperial defense during two world wars and through its engagement . . . we are left with a richer and more vital understanding of military history, of the relationship of the periphery to the metropole bound by imperial command, and of a variety of national histories of former colonies. . . . In Distant Drums, Jackson presents an excellent preface, a clearly articulated thesis, and some wonderful chapters of important research." --Professor Stephen Millerp, Journal of Military History "This important and long-overdue book confirms Jackson's growing reputation as a leading historian of British imperial warfare." --Saul David, professor, war studies, University of Buckingham, BBC History Magazine