"The milestone in the understanding of British history and imperialism, this important book radically reinterprets the course of modern economic development and the causes of overseas expansion during the past three centuries. Employing their concept of gentlemanly capitalism, the authors draw imperial and domestic British history together to show how the shape of the nation and its economy depended on international and imperial ties, and how these ties were undone to produce the postcolonial world of today. ". "This second edition, issued for the first time in a single volume, has two new chapters; a Foreword assesses the development of the debate since the book's original publication; an Afterword discusses the imperial era in the context of the current controversy over globalization, and shows how the study of the age of empires remains relevant to understanding the postcolonial world. "--BOOK JACKET.