Thursday, April 10, 2003 | 12:00 AM
The British Empire was the largest in all history: the nearest thing to global domination ever achieved. The world we know today is in large measure the product of Britain's Age of Empire. The global spread of capitalism, telecommunications, the English language, and the institutions of representative government -- all these can be traced back to the extraordinary expansion of Britain's economy, population and culture from the 17th century until the mid-20th century. On a vast and vividly colored canvas, "Empire" shows how the British empire acted as midwife to modernity.