For the first time, James extraordinarily thorough, brilliantly researched and critically lauded history of the British Empire is available in paperback. Spanning the years from 1600 to the present, this comprehensive and perceptive volume combines detailed scholarship with readable popular history to provide a reliable, well-balanced and well-written account that should enlighten and entertain (Washington Post Book World). of photos. n nGreat Britains geopolitical role has undergone many changes over the last four centuries. Once a maritime superpower and ruler of half the world, Britain now occupies an isolated position as an economically fragile island often at odds with her European neighbors. n nIn The Rise and Fall of the British Empire, Lawrence James has written a comprehensive, perceptive, and insightful history of the British Empire. Spanning the years from 1600 to the present day, this critically acclaimed book combines detailed scholarship with readable popular history. n nThis is a stylish, intelligent and readable book. --The New York Times Book Reviewn