"Guardians of empire explores the ways in which armies and armed forces were involved in the making, the maintenance and the loss of overseas empire." "The volume ranges widely in time and space. Besides chapters on the British Empire in Africa, Asia and Oceania, there are also essays on Algeria, the Dutch East Indies, the Germans in Africa and the American Empire in the Pacific. While not neglecting the traditional concerns of the military historian, the book also explores some of the themes of the 'new' military history, including gender and sexuality, race and discipline and the policing of the labour trade. The book will interest scholars working on the interaction between armed forces, politics and society in the colonial context."--Jacket.