The British Empire influenced many aspects of the world we live in today. The international system remains heavily marked by British imperialism, and the borders, nations, and federations it created. This Very Short Introduction introduces and defines the British Empire, reviewing how it evolved into such a force, and the legacy it left behind.

Martin Kitchen has written an informative account of the rise and fall of the British Empire, concentrating on the 19th and 20th centuries but giving the background of the "First British Empire", which was lost with the creating of the USA.