The story of the British Empire is one of enormous personalities, adventure, scientific and maritime advancement, and the creation of one of the most complex international administrations the world has ever seen. This masterful work charts the history of exploration from the 16th century, but more importantly, from the mid-18th century to the period shortly before the First World War. It also looks at the immediate and long-range effects on the people themselves—the colonized and the colonizers—and why it all began to end when it did.