At the beginning of this book's narrative, in the reign of Edward VII, Great Britain commands the mightiest empire the world has ever seen. By the time it ends, with the Coronation of Elizabeth II, Britain has emerged victorious from a world war, but ruined as a world power. How did Britain's power and influence decline? This is one of the questions which A. N. Wilson seeks to answer in his masterly follow-up to THE VICTORIANS.

A. N. Wilson was born in 1950 and educated at Rugby and New College, Oxford. A fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he has held a prominent position in the world of literature and journalism. He is an award winning biographer and a celebrated novelist, winning prizes for much of his fiction. He lives in North London.

." . . another masterpiece. There is the same magisterial sweep, the same rich mixture of broad historical narrative and telling detail, the same creation of a huge and varied cast of characters, all of them vividly portrayed in a few illuminating sentences. The range of Wilson's knowledge is breathtaking..."
-"Literary Review"
"Readers who enjoyed the last volume will not be disappointed. After The Victorians has exactly the same compelling blend of political gossip, literary sketches and deft character portraits . . . simply irresistible . . ."
-"Daily Telegraph
"Praise for "The Victorians":
"The best single-volume work on the Victorian age yet written."
--Andrew Roberts