Kathleen BurkThe Lion and the Eagle: The Interaction of the British and American Empires 1783–1972

Essential reading for everyone from students to diplomats.

This is a lucid and very enjoyable account by an American scholar of the relationship between America and Britain. It has never been an easy one and itt has never been special. The two have been allies because each has had something to offer that the other lacked. Burk says Britons have a problem with their Empire. But so do Americans.Burk shows how the two countries have been rivals almost as often as they have been allies. She cites the Pig War of 1859 that involved Captain Pickett who became famous at the battle of Gettysburg, and the 1895 Venezuela crisis that Lord Salisbury believed heralded war between the two. Fortunately, it didn't.Burk reveals how the 1956 Suez crisis alarmed and annoyed America as it lost access to many strategic bases and listening posts East of Suez.Today, America has 750 military installations in 130 countries, half a million troops and several secret bases around the globe including Israel.This excellent book is, thank goodness, about how the two rivals have avoided war since 1812. The relationship has been and is far less cosy than diplomats and commentators make out. When the Korean War broke our ambassador in Washington warned the PM that if we failed to send at least a brigade to support America it would seriously harm our relationship with that country. The troops were sent.Burke is good on government action concerning arguments and disputes but has little to say about culture. For example, the Americans were very pro Queen Victoria. Her Golden Jubilee attracted fulsome tributes from New York's mayor. Surprisingly Burke has not researched the Royal Archives, a very rich source of how the FO used the Royals as ambassadors. Granted relations were not always cordial. The author's discussion of Japan's problems and how these affected her relations with Britain is very revealing. She asks in the final pages how long will America's bases be tolerated. As she wisely says the only thing predictable in international relations is unpredictably.

What happened to the Kindle edition I ordered back In August.?The author would have sold far more of those than a £20 hard back that you have to watch out for the delivery of .Snobbery against Kindle ? The ways of the publishing industry are strange.