All the Countries We've Ever Invaded

Out of 193 countries that are currently UN member states, we've invaded or fought conflicts in the territory of 171. That's not far off a massive, jaw-dropping 90 per cent. Not too many Britons know that we invaded Iran in the Second World War with the Soviets. You can be fairly sure a lot more Iranians do. Or what about the time we arrived with elephants to invade Ethiopia? Every summer, hordes of British tourists now occupy Corfu and the other Ionian islands. Find out how we first invaded them armed with cannon instead of camera and set up the United States of the Ionian Islands. Think the Philippines have always been outside our zone of influence? Think again. Read the surprising story of our eighteenth-century occupation of Manila and how we demanded a ransom of millions of dollars for the city. This book takes a look at some of the truly awe-inspiring ways our country has been a force, for good and for bad, right across the world. A lot of people are vaguely aware that a quarter of the globe was once pink, but that's not even half the story. We're a stroppy, dynamic, irrepressible nation and this is how we changed the world, often when it didn't ask to be changed!

Auteur

Stuart Laycock studied Classics at Cambridge, before working as a writer in advertising. He is now a historian and writer, and is the author of THP's All the Countries We've Ever Invaded.

Résumé
Out of 193 countries currently recognised by the UN, we've invaded 158. That's an amazing 82%!Azerbaijan won this year's Eurovision. Don't know where it is? You should, because we invaded it for its oil almost a hundred years ago. Every Summer, hordes of British tourists now invade Corfu and the other Ionian islands. Find out how we first invaded them armed with cannon instead of cameras and set up the Unites States of the Ionian Islands. A Scottish invasion of Central America helped bankrupt Scotland and drive it into union with England. You'll have heard of the American war in Vietnam, and maybe even the French war, but what do you know about the British invasion of Vietnam?This book illustrates what a truly awe-inspiring power, for bad and for good, our country has been right across the world. A lot of people are vaguely aware that a quarter of the globe was once pink, but that's not even half the story. We're a stroppy, dynamic, irrepressible nation and this is how we changed the world, even when it didn't ask to be changed!