Losing the Blanket: Australia and the End of Britain's Empire

Based on original research in the Australian and British government archives, this in-depth study offers a fresh look at Australian-British relations in the 1950s and 1960s. Arriving at a period of increased interest in the consequences of colonialism and the relationship between Australia and Britain, especially in light of the republic debate and Australia's recent Centenary of Federation, celebrated in 2001, it combines two interrelated themes-that of the terminal phase of Britain's formal empire and the aftermath of its dissolution, and the development of Anglo-Australian relations in the same period-into a single framework for the first time. This highly accessible text is also suitable for general readers interested in Australian and colonial history and politics.