Publications
The Great Power Struggle in East Asia, 1944-50: Britain, America and Post-War Rivalry
The Great Power Struggle in East Asia, 1944-50: Britain, America and Post-War Rivalry
The Great Power Struggle in East Asia, 1944-50: Britain, America and Post-War Rivalry
The first full account of British policy towards China, Japan and Korea from the final stages of the Second World War to the outbreak of the Korean War, set against the backdrop of the Anglo-American relationship, broader Far Eastern developments, the beginnings of the Cold War, and Britain's relationship with the Commonwealth.
Britain in Global Politics, Volume 1: From Gladstone to Churchill
The Great Power Struggle in East Asia, 1944-50: Britain, America and Post-War Rivalry
The Great Power Struggle in East Asia, 1944-50: Britain, America and Post-War Rivalry
Acknowledged authorities in their field survey Britain's international and imperial role from the mid-Victorian era to the early Cold War. Analysing the policies of British statesmen from William Gladstone to Winston Churchill, the collection is dedicated to the memory of Professor Saki Dockrill.
Diplomats at War: British and Commonwealth Diplomacy in Wartime
The Great Power Struggle in East Asia, 1944-50: Britain, America and Post-War Rivalry
Diplomats at War: British and Commonwealth Diplomacy in Wartime
With contributions from leading scholars on the role of British and Commonwealth heads of mission, this book provides a fascinating insight into the way embassies, legations, high commissions and governorships functioned during war, making an important contribution to twentieth century diplomatic history.
The Great Power Struggle in East Asia, 1944-50
Reviews
'Historians interested in Anglo-American relations in the immediate post-war years will find this trawl through the official archives fascinating and instructive.' The Japan Society
'Those who used to rely on Christopher Thorne, whose Allies of a Kind (1978) dealt with the war against Japan, will now have to follow another Christopher...With such an auspicious professional beginning, he will be closely read in the future.' Asian Affairs
'Based on extensive research in British, American and Australian archives and a sizeable body of secondary literature, Baxter manages to give a detailed account of the intricacies of Great Britain's involvement in the Far East. His coverage of the Australian dimension to British Far Eastern policy is especially enlightening... It offers interesting insights into an understudied period of early Cold War international history that culminated in Britain's involvement in Korea in 1950, an action deemed strategically unthinkable only a few years before.' Contemporary British History
'The post-war British effort to retain a place of prominence in deciding world affairs is a sad tale that Christopher Baxter ably tells in his study discussing the early Cold War years in Japan, China and Korea...Among this study's strengths is its description of Australia's role as 'a major sub-plot' in post-war Anglo-American relations in East Asia, documenting how Britain failed to persuade its Commonwealth protégé to expand its regional security capabilities...Extensive research in archival collections stretching from Britain to the United States to Australia and a long list of secondary sources supports Baxter's findings. Making excellent use of remarks in primary documents, the author [also] exposes hidden British contempt for US leaders.' The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History
'Baxter's book is very detailed and has been judiciously researched among secondary literature on this topic from the last two decades, especially journal articles and edited volumes. Archival holdings, memoirs, diaries and private papers of the key civilian and military officials are successfully synthesised....a solid and impressive work which will prove a very useful addition for students and academics seeking a more specific regional variation on the shaping of post-war Anglo American foreign policies and the origins of the Cold War.' Diplomacy & Statecraft
'This book contributes to our understanding of the apprehensions and misunderstandings of British diplomats as they sought strategic withdrawal from East Asia. The thesis - that it was the limitations of British statecraft that ultimately explains why Britain committed scarce military resources to the area - is persuasive.' Journal of Contemporary History
Britain in Global Politics
Reviews
'This stimulating collection of essays should be required reading for students of international history, and also serves as a credible means for nonspecialists to enrich their survey courses of British, European, and imperial history.' H-War Review
'There is sometimes a tendency in such enterprises for willing but busy scholars to unearth a worthy piece from their bottom drawer which has thus far failed to find a suitable home for publication. By contrast, the...essays included here positively sparkle with originality and vim and collectively offer a tribute with which Saki Dockrill herself would have been delighted.' International History Review
'This fine collection of essays was put together by the colleagues, pupils, and friends of Saki Dockrill, whose premature death in 2009 robbed the fields of international relations, Cold War history, and conflict and security studies of a notably gifted scholar...Essay collections are often patchy in quality and usefulness, but not this one. All the contributions are strong. They represent well-written, detailed, intelligent, and expertly researched contributions to the topic areas they cover.' - H-Net Review
'The sheer breadth of issues covered, the originality in some approaches, as well as the diverse methodological angles are vivid reminders of the hustling bustling field that is British International History today...Expertly edited [the book is] a fitting tribute to Saki Dockrill.' Twentieth Century British History
'Together the two books constitute a fitting commemoration of one who has influenced so many, and so positively.' International Affairs
'These volumes offer scholars a variety of subjects about Britain's role in global politics since the nineteenth century. Among the strongest contributions are the chapters about foreign policy that rely on interviews and sources directly from policymakers and the political elite. [The volumes] offer solid essays for scholars interested in Britain's role in global affairs since the late nineteenth century and are an excellent tribute to the memory of Saki Dockrill.'- The Journal of the Historical Association
Diplomats at War
Reviews
'Diplomats at War is a collection of case studies in which a wide variety of distinguished scholars examine the role of British official envoys to either vital allies, influential neutrals or members of the British Empire during the First and Second World Wars...Diplomats at War's individual chapters are, without exception, noteworthy contributions to the study of international politics and the role of individual diplomats described therein'. First World War Studies
'Christopher Baxter and Andrew Stewart [have] come up with a good idea and gathered in some valuable work.' G. R. Berridge, Embassies in Armed Conflict (2012)