Empire Ablaze

Name: Empire Ablaze
Brand: New Left Books Ltd CONSIGN
Price: 46.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder

A Story of the British Empire, the American Revolution, and the Transatlantic Working Class

By: Tom Cutterham

Write A Review

Hardcover | 21 July 2026

At a Glance

Format
Hardcover

Dimensions(cm)
21.0 x 14.0 x 1.6

Hardcover

$46.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $11.75 with

or

Available: 21st July 2026

Preorder. Will ship when available.

As revolution raged in North America, James Aitken - house painter, highwayman, and escaped indentured servant - wandered the colonies formulating a dramatic plan to cripple the British navy by destroying Portsmouth dockyard and Bristol harbour. He was determined to burn down the empire to hasten American independence. Through this overlooked story of British insurrection and America's founding, historian Tom Cutterham explores how an emerging transatlantic working class experienced the transformation and crisis of Britain's eighteenth-century empire. Behind this new sense of class consciousness was the Enlightenment philosophy that had informed popular ideas about the universal rights and the corruption of imperial authorities. Reframing the American Revolution as a British civil war, Empire Ablaze offers a fresh account of the United States' birth and the origins of radical politics in Britain, finding insights for the revolutionary struggles of our own crisis-ridden times.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $89.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.