From the voyages of Christopher Columbus to the annexation of Egypt, this concise and authoritative history charts the rise of the British Empire over four centuries. Woodward skillfully captures the economic, political, and cultural forces that shaped the empire's growth, while also acknowledging the injustices and conflicts that accompanied it. A valuable resource for students of world history and international relations. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.