ABSTRACT
It has been nearly a hundred years since either Britain or the USA held the citizens of the other as prisoners of war. The fact that either has done so this century probably comes as a surprise to most readers who know that Britain and the USA have not been at war since the Peace of Ghent in December 1814 and that the two have had a famous special relationship.1 Indeed, the uniqueness of their relationship in an era of mayhem and total war can be captured by the phrase ‘friendly superpowers’. Peace between them has survived even during the transition period when the USA took over from Britain as the world’s richest and most potent nation state. In the story that follows the ups and downs of this relationship will be traced through the twentieth century, for, although Britain and the USA have been friendly superpowers, they have also had bitter disagreements and suffered intense diplomatic and political friction. But, before embarking upon the narrative, a few remarks about the nature of the enterprise are in order.
