A user-friendly archival guide, Administering the Empire explains the organisation and potential information of the records of the British Colonial Office, and those of other departments responsible for colonial administration, currently held at the National Archives. The book also outlines the expansion of the British empire from the early nineteenth century and discusses the structure of colonial governments. Furthermore, an appendix lists countries alphabetically giving brief details of their constitutional histories under the British and listing the categories and approximate numbers of the documents to be found for each.