After dominating the world during the 19th and 20th centuries, what will Great Britain do for an encore? Many centuries in the making, the British Empire by 1914 was the largest dominion in history, stretching around the globe and spreading English culture, language, and government to about 1/5 of the world's population. In terms of power and influence, Great Britain was great indeed. Not bad for a so-called "small island." But also, in the end, not entirely so good either. - p. 5.