During the period known as the 'Dual Monarchy', from Queen Victoria's accession in 1837 to the death of her husband Albert in 1861, the British Empire almost quintupled in size. Its cities, canals, railways and telegraphs were changing the face of continents. It was well on the way to becoming the greatest empire the world had ever seen.This is the story of that extraordinary quarter century of imperial conquest and the people who made it happen: the politicians, colonial administrators, businessmen, generals and ordinary soldiers.In a fast-moving narrative that ranges from the ministries and royal residences of London to the harsh terrain of India, Russia and the Far East, Saul David shows how Britain ruthlessly exploited her position as the world's only superpower to expand her empire. Yet little of this territorial acquisition was planned or sanctioned by the home government. Instead it was largely the work of the men on the ground, and to those at home it really did seem that the empire was acquired in a 'fit of absence of mind'.Using a wealth of archival material, Saul David creates a vivid portrait of life on the violent fringes of empire, and of the seemingly endless, brutal and often unnecessary wars that were fought in the name of trade, civilization and the balance of power.