"Although colonies are often viewed as having been of crucial economic importance to Britain's empire, those responsible for administering the colonies were often not at all interested in or supportive of commercial ventures, as this book demonstrates. Based on extensive original research, and...

The book is intended primarily to provide a critical introduction to large and controversial issues. Few of the questions it poses can yet be answered with any confidence since no primary sources are open after the mid-1950s and insufficient research has yet been published on economic...