The late nineteenth century is generally thought of as a period of fervent imperial enthusiasm in Britain. However, beneath the surface there were currents of discontent. Mira Matikkala here examines modes of thought in Late Victorian Britain that were described as anti-imperialist in the period 1878-1901. In doing so, she clarifies the picture of moral and cultural attitudes in an era which has been too often seen as characterised by monolithic imperial culture. For the first time, this book explores the colourful and fragmentary group of British anti-imperialists collectively and from a comparative perspective; their collaborations as well as the differences in their approaches. The spectrum extends from the eccentric poet and ex-diplomat W.S. Blunt to the philosopher Herbert Spencer and from ethical positivists like Frederic Harrison to practical propagandists like William Digby. This book will be a significant contribution to the fields of British intellectual history and political thought._x000D_ _x000D_ 'This is an impressive work examining the 'modes of thought' which Victorians described as anti-imperialist, although, as Mira Matikkala argues, 'anti-imperialism' as such was a fluid coalition of individuals and distinct pressure groups. Focussing on three areas - economics, ethics and the nature of progress and party politics, this book challenges the 'orientalist' paradigms about British culture and explores the interaction and cooperation between anti-imperialists of diverse political and philosophical inclination. Matikkala argues that late-Victorian political culture was far richer, more fragmented and contradictory than modern critics of orientalism have been prepared to accept.' _x000D_ - Eugenio Biagini, Reader in Modern British Political History, University of Cambridge.