This is a collection of twelve interdisciplinary essays from international scholars concerned with examining the British experience of Empire since the eighteenth century. It considers themes such as national identity, modernity, culture, social class, diplomacy, consumerism, gender, postcolonialism, and perceptions of Britain's place in the world.

This book considers the British travelling beyond their isles over the last three hundred years, and through a range of interdisciplinary perspectives reflects on their taste for discovery and self-discovery both through the exploration - and exploitation - of other lands and peoples.