Atlas of British Overseas Expansion

Spanning the entire period from the late fifteenth century beginnings of Britain's growth as a maritime commercial power to her withdrawal from most colonial possessions and her alignment with continental Europe in the 1970s and 1980s, this atlas traces the history of Britain's changing presence overseas. Each map is accompanied by explanatory text. The shifting territorial pattern of empire over more than four centuries, from the colonization of Virginia to the dismemberment of the African empire, is naturally prominent. British exploration is also covered, showing the routes taken and discoveries made, from Frobisher and Raleigh, to Cook and Livingstone. War, conquest and non-European military resistance are touched upon, especially in the American War of Independence, the Indian Mutiny, the South African campaign of 1899-1902, and recent World Wars. In addition, the atlas demonstrates the considerable influence and power, albeit of less formal kinds and at different times, brought by Britain's trade and investments, the patterns of imperial defence and communications, the spread of white settlement, the presence of her consuls, shipping and missionaries. This book should be of i

`Every student of the subject should possess a copy.' - The Spectator