This is a lively, new textbook for US students on British history from the Stuart Restoration of 1660 to the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. Its central theme is how Britain became the first modern nation state.

At its peak, no empire had ever been larger or more diverse. With power and influence stretching to the far reaches of the globe, Britannia not only ruled the waves but governed roughly a quarter of the world's population.

Imperial Island: A History of Britain and its Empire, 1660-1837 traces Great Britain's imperial path from the Stuart Restoration of 1660 to its emergence in the nineteenth century as a dominant global superpower. More than a century of fast-moving political events such as the American Revolution and Napoleonic wars are seamlessly interwoven with England and Scotland's political, social, and economic history. Also discussed are the rapidly-evolving environmental factors, cultural issues, and gender relations taking place in Britain as it carved out its empire. The result is a comprehensive and sweeping account of Britain's expansion and the transformative role that empire played throughout its global territories.

Organized into thematic chapters set within a clear, chronological framework, and supported by numerous illustrations and maps, Imperial Island is the ideal text for students, who need no prior knowledge of British history.