▁these ▁" network s " ▁and ▁" web s " ▁and ▁Al ison ▁Games ▁has ▁used ▁this ▁as ▁a ▁model ▁for ▁studying ▁the ▁pattern ▁of ▁early ▁English ▁imperial ism ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁The ▁Oxford ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁ ▁The ▁major ▁multi - volume ▁multi - author ▁coverage ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁is ▁the ▁Oxford ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁( 1 9 9 8 – 2 0 0 1 ), ▁five - volume ▁set , ▁plus ▁a ▁companion ▁series . ▁ ▁Douglas ▁Pe ers ▁says ▁the ▁series ▁demonstr ates ▁that , ▁" As ▁a ▁field ▁of ▁historical ▁inqu iry , ▁imperial ▁history ▁is ▁clearly ▁experien cing ▁a ▁r ena issance ." ▁ ▁Max ▁Bel off , ▁review ing ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁volumes ▁in ▁History ▁Today , ▁pra ised ▁them ▁for ▁their ▁read ability ▁and ▁was ▁pleased ▁that ▁his ▁worry ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁too ▁anti - imper ial ist ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁real ised . ▁Sa ul ▁Dub ow ▁in ▁H - Net ▁noted ▁the ▁une ven ▁quality ▁of ▁the ▁chap ters ▁in ▁volume ▁III ▁and ▁also ▁the ▁difficulty ▁of ▁such ▁an ▁endeav our ▁give ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁histor i ography ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁impos s ibility ▁of ▁maintain ing ▁a ▁tri um phal ist ▁tone ▁in ▁the ▁modern ▁era . ▁Dub ow ▁also ▁felt ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁authors ▁had ▁t ended ▁" to ▁' play ▁safe ', ▁aw ed ▁perhaps ▁by ▁the ▁monument al ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁enter prise ". ▁ ▁Mad