Traces the history of the Royal Society from its founding in 1660 to the present and describes how its members--including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Humphry Davy, Albert Einstein, Alexander Fleming, and Stephen Hawking--have contributed to global scientific discovery.

"A bestselling British author's American debut-in this brilliantly illuminating work exploring the realities and legacies of empire, Sathnam Sanghera demonstrates how so much of what we consider to be modern Britain is actually rooted in its imperial past. In prose that is at once both clear-eyed and full of acerbic wit, Sanghera shows how the past is everywhere in the United Kingdom, also drawing critical links to similarities in the United States...

A history of Henry VIII and his three heirs offers new insights into the dynasty's precarious position in world politics and culture while evaluating the role of religion in sixteenth-century government.