British Empire Wars

This history of Britain set in a global context for our times offers a new perspective on how the rise and fall of an empire shaped modern European politics. When the British voted to leave the European Union in 2016, the country's future was thrown into doubt. So, too, was its past. The story...

With the exception of the terrible retreat from Afghanistan, none of England's many little wars have been so fatal in proportion to the number of those engaged as our first expedition to Burma. The Burman policy of carrying off every boat on the river, laying waste the whole country, and driving away the inhabitants and the herds, maintained our army as prisoners in Rangoon through the first wet season; and caused the loss of half the white officers and men first sent there.