British Imperialism in Cyprus, 1878–1915

Andrekos Varnava is Lecturer in Modern History at Flinders University

• Introduction1. Historicising the British Possession of Cyprus: The Contexts2. Cyprus from Richard Coeur de Lion to Disraeli: The Imperial Imagination3. Justifying the Occupation of Cyprus, 1876-78: ‘The Key of Western Asia’4. The Sublime Illusions: 1878-80: The Mediterranean ‘Eldorado’5. Financial Policy and the Development of Cyprus, 1880-1912: The ‘Mill-Stone’6. From Multiculturalism to Multi-Nationalism: The ‘European’ Possession7. Cyprus’ Strategic Place in the British Imperial Structure: The Backwater8. ‘Cyprus is of No Use to Anybody’: The PawnConclusionBibliographyAppendices

'With his subtle, yet well-researched and well-argued study, Varnava has made a significant contribution to Cypriot history, as well as the histories of the Ottoman and British empires, particularly in our understandings of how images and reality may wildly differ in the context of imperial ventures.'The American Historical Review'It is highly commendable that the author adopts an open and fresh approach to Cyprus’ history, in particular in the way how he looked in retrospect at the Ottoman period and its ramifications until British rule.'Journal of Mediterranean Studies'this is a fascinating and compelling tale. Very well-written, conceptually and methodologically sophisticated, this is by far the best book on the early years of the history of the British in Cyprus. It rightfully deserves a central place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in Cypriot, Ottoman, Greek, British or imperial histories'A Review of the Past and other Stories'British Imperialism in Cyprus deserves significant consideration for two reasons. Varnava's adroit use of the ‘Eldorado’ argument adds important nuance to analyses of the acquisitive propensities of the British imperial state. The cultural is subtly woven into the political in a manner that historians of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century European imperialism will find illuminating.'European Review of History'Varnava's book should open the way for more studies that will increase our understanding and knowledge of this most interesting and important period of British colonial rule in Cyprus.'The Round Table'British Imperialism in Cyprus is definitely an illuminating research piece on the ‘tensions underlying British imperialism in Cyprus’.'Anglophone Studies'Varnava’s book is a wonderful addition to our knowledge and understanding of a crucial period in Cyprus’ history, namely that of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. […] a well-written and well-documented account of the first four decades of British rule in Cyprus. It heightens our knowledge and exposes the problems surrounding some ofthe accepted ‘truths’ regarding this period. […] This book would be an excellent addition to student reading lists as well as providing new material for seasoned researchers in the history, colonial studies, sociology, and political science of Cyprus.'The Cyprus Review‘This thoroughly researched and very well written study will remain essential for any modern historian of Cyprus. Intellectually stimulating, in a well substantiated way provocative and full of new insights, one can only wish that its main theses enter the public discourse of Cyprus, which is so ignorant of many of the findings of this book.’Reviews in History‘Varnava's work is an overdue reassessment of common wisdom in the history of Cyprus which will also appeal to students of Cypriot history as well as the reader interested in international relations and politics in the Near East at the beginning of the twentieth century.’Journal of Modern Greek Studies