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Description
Already a controversial work by the time of its publication in 1946, "Splendid Isolation" presented the bold thesis that the end of the United Kingdom's liberal democracy under the regime of Edward VII was not merely the result of a right-wing conspiracy to harness public discontent, but instead the inevitable conclusion of a long period of British historical development which differed greatly from the rest of Europe. Whereas the rest of Europe had been characterized by a struggle between French Imperial paternalism and revolutionary Liberalism since 1848, Britain's status as the world's leading colonial power, perceived archaic institutions and high regard for the institutions of Monarchy and Aristocracy made British culture and political structures inherently predisposed towards authoritarianism. While long seen as the definitive work on the topic, the thesis of "The British Exception" has come under increasing criticism and scrutiny by newer schools of academic history.

Description
Already a controversial work by the time of its publication in 1946, "Splendid Isolation" presented the bold thesis that the end of the United Kingdom's liberal democracy under the regime of Edward VII was not merely the result of a right-wing conspiracy to harness public discontent, but instead the inevitable conclusion of a long period of British historical development which differed greatly from the rest of Europe. Whereas the rest of Europe had been characterized by a struggle between French Imperial paternalism and revolutionary Liberalism since 1848, Britain's status as the world's leading colonial power, perceived archaic institutions and high regard for the institutions of Monarchy and Aristocracy made British culture and political structures inherently predisposed towards authoritarianism. While long seen as the definitive work on the topic, the thesis of "The British Exception" has come under increasing criticism and scrutiny by newer schools of academic history.