Chronicles the trajectory of imperialism in British (English) political thought circa 1850-1950. Relying sometimes on Socratic dialogue and occasionally on Parliamentary speeches, the book skips through India, Egypt and the Sudan, South Africa, and other locales, paying more attention to ideas than chronology. Leading thinkers of the two parties are the stars. The dominions and the two wars play a limited role, as do Victoria and Kitchener. Obviously sympathetic to the left and also contemporary opinion (a Whiggish historian?), the author concludes imperialism belongs to the liberal political tradition and so (as of 1957, the height of scuttle) had yet to run its course.