The British empire: a history and a debate

What was the course and consequence of the British Empire?

The rights and wrongs, strengths and weaknesses of empire are a major topic in global history, and deservedly so.

Focusing on the most prominent and wide-ranging empire in world history, the British empire, Jeremy Black provides not only a history of that empire, but also a perspective from which to consider the issues of its strengths and weaknesses, and rights and wrongs.

In short, this is history both of the past, and of the present-day discussion of the past, that recognises that discussion over historical empires is in part a reflection of the consideration of contemporary states.