A long book, full of detail and story, but also a rivetting and thought provoking read. Excellent on the growth of Empire and its often ad hoc basis, but especially good on the flight from Empire - the often undignified period of de-colonisation. Organied by country/region, this is a brilliant source of the latest ideas on Empire, and an often critical approach to it. It makes you wonder [a] how we managed to obtain such a huge Empire; [b] how we managed to hold on to it; and [c] how we managed to keep a relatively good reputation following the end of Empire. Good A Level students will be able to use it as a source of reference/detail/starting point, but probably most use will be by teachers wanting an update or knowledge on those areas not covered at University... Great!