The Making of the British Empire: from Prehistoric Times to the Independence of the Thirteen North American States

The British Empire was the most powerful colonial empire in human history. It once ruled a quarter of the world's land and population. On its territory, the sun never sets, making it the "Empire on which the Sun Never Sets." So, how did what was originally just an island off the European continent turn into a huge empire? In this book, James Adams, the famous American historian and Pulitzer Prize winner, uses a chronological framework and a story-telling method to bring us back to specific historical scenes: the successive invasions by the Romans and barbarians, the rise and fall of the seven dynasties on the island, and the bloody battles with continental powers such as France that lasted for hundreds of years. Fighting, domination of the world through commerce and colonization, and the rebellion and independence of thirteen North American states... By carefully sorting out the history of nearly 2,000 years, Adams provides a clear answer to the rise of the British Empire and its role in world history from many aspects such as the struggle between royal power and parliament, legal system, religion, culture, etc.