This book examines how violent anti-colonial struggles and the legal, military and political techniques used by colonial governments to contain them have been imagined in literature and law. Case studies examined include Ireland, India, South Africa, Algeria, Kenya, Israel-Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan.

Vols. for 1871-76, 1913-14 include an extra number, The Christmas bookseller, separately paged and not included in the consecutive numbering of the regular series.