Each passing year sees the frontiers of knowledge pushed yet further forward. Science and technology advance apace, while economics becomes increasingly globalized. Our knowledge of the past increases, while the world around us is engulfed in constant upheaval. This latest edition of Pears, again fully upated and revised, examines the dangerous world of our new century, from the assault on America to the Afghan war. Meanwhile the changing political scene in Britain (as well as current economic problems) are closely analyzed.