Heaven's Command cover art

Heaven's Command

An Imperial Progress - Pax Britannica, Volume 1

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Heaven's Command

By: Jan Morris
Narrated by: Roy McMillan
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About this listen

The Pax Britannica trilogy is Jan Morris’s epic story of the British Empire from the accession of Queen Victoria to the death of Winston Churchill. It is a towering achievement: informative, accessible, entertaining and written with all her usual bravura. Heaven’s Command, the first volume, takes us from the crowning of Queen Victoria in 1837 to the Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The story moves effortlessly across the world, from the English shores to Fiji, Zululand, the Canadian prairies and beyond. Totally gripping history!

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

Listen to Pax Britannica: The Climax of an Empire - Pax Britannica, Volume 2.

©1973 A P Watt Limited (P)2011 Naxos AudioBooks Europe Great Britain World England Royalty Imperialism

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All stars
Most relevant
Despite a conventionally 'good' education, much of our imperial history went unmentioned in the modern history syllabus of the day and so passed me by. The magnificent sweep of this excellent first volume superbly fills in the huge gaps in my knowledge, and with great perception and sensitivity makes clear just exactly what was achieved and at what price to all concerned. I first heard of James Morris as he was then when reading about the successful 1953 Everest expedition, which he covered for the Times. I was so pleased to encounter his skilful and quietly witty style in this wholly absorbing and sometimes deeply moving book. Well done indeed.

Magnificent and perceptive

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Reads like a rollicking good adventure and brings the Empire back to life in a way that only a great storyteller can.

Great storytelling

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An enjoyable voyage through the history of empire building, jumping from country to country with enough detail to get a good understanding without getting bogged down in it. The book probably does pick and choose the most sensational parts of the imperial progress, but often this whets the appetite to read more on a particular subject that by necessity the author could only recount at a fairly high level. The book is not only about the battles of empire, but includes fascinating sections, for example, on the great explorers

Very entertaining

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I reread this from time to time. It’s beautifully written and rich in detail. This audio book was also beautifully read.

One of my favourites

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The Pax Britannica trilogy provides an insightful analysis of the British empire as it appeared to those who lived through it. The author's account thankfully avoids any of the guilt-tripping agendas so often prevalent today, but it is no mere eulogy of past glories and does not hide from the horrors that the empire inflicted on some of its subjected peoples. I especially enjoyed volumes 1 and 3 which respectively deal with the rise and fall of the empire. The lively narration by Roy McMillan is excellent throughout and makes for a pleasurable listening experience.

Intelligent, informative and entertaining

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