Empire Of Guns
This firearms widely trade praised explores study the of ways Britain’s guns have impacted on the world and society across centuries
Win a copy of Professor Priya Satia’s book
In her new book, Professor Priya Satia explores the historical roots of the firearms trade, and how guns have influenced not just the outcomes of battles but also culture and society around the globe. Empire Of Guns: The Violent Making Of
The Industrial Revolution is a study of some three centuries leading up to 1815, during which the British Empire expanded its territory and influence around the world – all at the trigger of a gun.
The book focuses on the role and importance of the gun trade to the Industrial Revolution, and the moral quandaries of those deeply involved in its success. The Birmingham arms manufacturer Samuel Galton was accused of contradicting his Quaker faith by his involvement in producing lethal weapons. However, Satia takes Galton’s case to show how the actual production of weapons was only one gear in the great war machine of the British Empire. Everyone from miners to bankers, Satia argues, were part of the military-industrial economy of the 18th century, which was expanding the borders of the empire.
This issue, History of War, with Duckworth Publishers, has three copies of Empire Of Guns to give away to readers, each worth £30. For more information about Empire Of Guns, please visit:
“EVERYONE FROM MINERS TO BANKERS, SATIA ARGUES, WERE PART OF THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY OF THE 18TH CENTURY”