This book argues that postwar Britain's 'imperial over-extension' has
been exaggerated. Britain developed and adjusted its defence strategy
based upon the perceived Communist threat and available resources. It
was especially successful at adapting to meet the strategic and resource
challenges from the Far East from 1947-54. There British and Gurkha
forces were deployed only in contingencies that threatened vital British
interests, while the U.S. and Commonwealth allies were persuaded to
accept key wartime missions, thus preserving Britain's ability to fight
in Western Europe.