One is from extreme poverty, the other from incredible wealth. One is of European decent and traces his American roots back a few generations. The other is a minority and his parents are first generation Americans. One is a womanizer and an atheist, the other a devout Christian with old fashioned values about marriage and family. One overcomes tragedy, and his circumstances to rise to the top. The other is seemingly gifted beyond what is fair, yet struggles with internal demons. These two become friends and business partners not because of what is different between them, but because of what...

Imperial historians have developed and discarded an astonishing range of concepts and theoretical tools. The British Empire offers us a particularly fertile terrain for the study of the relationship between history and theory, revealing how changing theoretical currents have shaped, and continue to shape, the writing of imperial history.

Imperial historians have developed and discarded an astonishing range of concepts and theoretical tools. The British Empire offers us a particularly fertile terrain for the study of the relationship between history and theory, revealing how changing theoretical currents have shaped, and continue to shape, the writing of imperial history.