▁were ▁also ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁simultane ous ▁mult iv ol ume ▁The ▁Cambridge ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire . ▁Production ▁of ▁both ▁works ▁was ▁delayed ▁by ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁ill ▁health ▁of ▁contrib utors ; ▁the ▁India ▁volume ▁II ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁abandoned . ▁ ▁Review ers ▁compla ined ▁the ▁research ▁methods ▁were ▁too ▁old - f ashion ed ; ▁one ▁critic ▁said ▁it ▁was ▁" history ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁understood ▁by ▁our ▁grand f athers ". ▁ ▁Ide a ▁of ▁Empire ▁David ▁Ar mit age ▁provided ▁an ▁influ ential ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁a ▁British ▁imperial ▁ide ology ▁from ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Henry ▁VIII ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁Robert ▁Wal pole ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 7 3 0 s . ▁ ▁Using ▁a ▁close ▁reading ▁of ▁English , ▁Scottish ▁and ▁Irish ▁authors ▁from ▁Sir ▁Thomas ▁Smith ▁( 1 5 1 3 – 7 7 ) ▁to ▁David ▁H ume ▁( 1 7 1 1 – 1 7 7 6 ), ▁Ar mit age ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁imperial ▁ide ology ▁was ▁both ▁a ▁critical ▁agent ▁in ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁British ▁state ▁from ▁three ▁kingdom s ▁and ▁an ▁essential ▁bond ▁between ▁the ▁state ▁and ▁the ▁trans at l antic ▁colon ies . ▁Ar mit age ▁thus ▁links ▁the ▁concerns ▁of ▁the ▁" New ▁British ▁History " ▁with ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁history . ▁Before ▁ 1 7 0 0 , ▁Ar mit age ▁finds ▁that ▁cont ested ▁English ▁and ▁Scottish ▁versions