Edmund Burke (1730-97) lived during one of the most extraordinary periods of world history. He
grappled with the significance of the British Empire in India fought for reconciliation with
the American colonies and was a vocal critic of national policy during three European wars. He
also advocated reform in Britain and became a central protagonist in the great debate on the
French Revolution. Drawing on the complete range of printed and manuscript sources Empire and
Revolution offers a vivid reconstruction of the major concerns of this outstanding statesman
orator and philosopher. In restoring Burke to his original political and intellectual context
this book overturns the conventional picture of a partisan of tradition against progress and
presents a multifaceted portrait of one of the most captivating figures in eighteenth-century
life and thought. A boldly ambitious work of scholarship this book challenges us to rethink
the legacy of Burke and the turbulent era in which he played so pivotal a role.
