I was enjoying this book at first - the actual history stuff is in-depth, interesting, and well presented. But toward the end it began to feel less like a history book and more like a massive piece of pro British imperialism propaganda. He says very little about the slave trade when Britain was an active member of it - fair enough, I thought, it's not the focus of this book - but once Britain switched to being anti-slave trade he would not shut up about it. France and Spain are villainous tyrants when they colonize somewhere; when Britain does the same they're heroes following their destiny. And did you know it was actually England that won the American Revolutionary War? Because Herman sure tries to make that argument. I was shocked to look up the author and learn he's not British himself. I think maybe he wants to go back to 1776 and get on a boat.