Book description
In the early part of Queen Victoria's reign, the British Empire
almost quintupled in size. It was well on the way to becoming the
greatest empire the world had ever seen. This is the story of how it
happened and the people who made it happen. In a fast-moving narrative
that ranges from London to the harsh terrain of India, Russia and the
Far East, Saul David shows how Britain ruthlessly exploited her
position as the world's only superpower to expand her empire. Yet
little of this territorial acquisition was planned or sanctioned by
the home government. Instead it was largely the work of the men on the
ground, and to those at home it really did seem that the empire was
acquired in a 'fit of absence of mind'.
Saul David creates a vivid portrait of life on the violent fringes
of empire, and of the seemingly endless and brutal wars that were
fought in the name of trade, civilization and the balance of power.
Saul David was born in 1966 and educated at Ampleforth College and
Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities. He is the author of several
acclaimed history books, including Mutiny at Salerno: An Injustice
Exposed (made into a BBC Timewatch documentary), The Indian Mutiny: 1857
(shortlisted for the Westminster Medal for Military Literature) and
Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (a Waterstone's
Military History Book of the Year). He has presented and appeared in
history programmes for all the major channels, including BBC1, BBC2,
ITV1, Channel 4 and Five. He lives in Somerset with his wife and three
children.
