Niall Fergusons acclaimed bestseller on the highs and lows of Britains empireOnce vast swathes of the globe were coloured imperial red and Britannia ruled not just the waves but the prairies of America the plains of Asia the jungles of Africa and the deserts of Arabia. Just how did a small rainy island in the North Atlantic achieve all this And why did the empire on which the sun literally never set finally decline and fall Niall Fergusons acclaimed Empire brilliantly unfolds the imperial story in all its splendours and its miseries showing how a gang of buccaneers and golddiggers planted the seed of the biggest empire in all history and set the world on the road to modernity.The most brilliant British historian of his generation ... Ferguson examines the roles of pirates planters missionaries mandarins bankers and bankrupts in the creation of historys largest empire ... he writes with splendid panache ... and a seemingly effortless debonair wit Andrew Roberts Dazzling ... wonderfully readable New York Review of BooksA remarkably readable prcis of the whole British imperial story triumphs deceits decencies kindnesses cruelties and all Jan Morris Empire is a pleasure to read and brims with insights and intelligence Sunday Times