This is a detailed, one-volume history of the British Empire. John Darwin is considered an expert on empires, and this probably ranks as the definitive work. For three centuries Britain’s Empire dominated much of the globe. The British Empire was the largest empire in history, perhaps the grandest. It was not monolithic, or the product of a master plan, but it was extremely diverse and complicated with all kinds of issues, challenges and problems. Here is the story of the rise of the Empire and its decline after World War II.