This fully revised and updated new edition, extended to cover the period up to 1914, provides the ultimate introduction to British history between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the outbreak of the First World War.

Provides a comprehensive chronological narrative of the history of the British Empire between 1815 and 1914, together with a more theoretical and reflective concluding chapter, thus giving an overview of British policy and action which takes account of the many factors underlying British expansion.

This book provides a concise overview of the British Empire from its origins in the early nineteenth century, to its climax at mid-century, to its denouement on the eve of World War I. Considering the impact of imperial rule, Parsons explores themes of cross-cultural, social, and environmental interaction from a world history perspective.