The penguin historical atlas of the british empire is well presented with major time periods defined for each chapter as follows: 

• The Early Empire 1500 – 1763
• The Late Georgian Europe 1763 – 1837
• The Victorian Empire 1837 – 1901
• Imperial Themes
• Climax and Decolonization 1901 – 97

There is also a section entitled “Further Reading” and an index.

The material within THE PENGUIN HISTORICAL ATLAS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE is well presented and contains maps and text and is an excellent source for the less serious historian.