The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997

A WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD NOTABLE BOOK

After the American Revolution, the British Empire appeared to be doomed. Yet it grew to become the greatest, most diverse empire the world had seen. Then, within a generation, the mighty structure collapsed, a rapid demise that left an array of dependencies and a contested legacy: at best a sporting spirit, a legal code and a near-universal language; at worst, failed states and internecine strife. The Decline and Fall of the British Empire covers a vast canvas, which Brendon fills with vivid particulars, from brief lives to telling anecdotes to comic episodes to symbolic moments.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 02/09/2010
ISBN: 9780307388414
Pages: 848
Weight: 1.68lbs
Size: 7.96h x 5.34w x 1.67d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 02/14/2010 pg. 24