Duncan Bell (historian)

Duncan Bell (born 31 December 1976) is Professor of Political Thought and International Relations at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. He is based at the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS). He works principally on the history of modern British and American political thought, with a particular focus on ideologies of empire and international politics. His book "The Idea of Greater Britain" won the Whitfield Prize from the Royal Historical Society.

Duncan Bell received a degree in war studies at King's College London. Upon graduating, Bell considered joining the military; but the transition to London from a quieter area, and the experiences he had there, changed his plans. He got his MA and PhD from the University of Cambridge. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2021. He is married to Dr Sarah Fine (Department of Philosophy, University of Cambridge). They have two kids.

Books

 * The Idea of Greater Britain: Empire and the Future of World Order, 1860-1900 (Princeton University Press, 2007)
 * Reordering the World: Essays on Liberalism and Empire (Princeton University Press, 2016)
 * Dreamworlds of Race: Empire and the Utopian Destiny of Anglo-America (Princeton University Press, 2020)