Alan Lester

Alan Lester is a British historian, historical geographer and author who has worked for Sussex University since 2000. He is known for his research on imperial networks, colonial humanitarianism and imperial governance. In [https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/colonization-and-the-origins-of-humanitarian-governance/colonization-and-the-origins-of-humanitarian-governance/60662ACA90DD0F8826BC1E2EBBD92316 Colonisation and the Origins of Humanitarian Governance] he and Fae Dussart analysed the ways in which men considering themselves humane oversaw the destruction of Indigenous societies. [https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/ruling-the-world/6264B85460CE672609666F24F86EBEFD Ruling the World] examined how imperial governance worked 'everywhere and all at once' across the British Empire at key moments during the nineteenth century. Lester gave the Distinguished Historical Geographer Lecture at the 2022 Association of American Geographers annual conference. He is co-editor of the Manchester University Press Studies in Imperialism research monograph series. As a result of his book [https://www.routledge.com/Imperial-Networks-Creating-Identities-in-Nineteenth-Century-South-Africa/Lester/p/book/9780415259149 Imperial Networks], he has been described as “the pioneer of the idea” of “a key concept much used in recent ‘new imperial history’ writing … that of the imperial network” Lester has written of his concern at the recent politicisation of imperial history, and critiqued Nigel Biggar's representation of colonialism. Provided by Wikipedia