Publisher's Synopsis
In November 1915, there began eighteen months of work to create an honour that has grown to be one of the most familiar in the United Kingdom: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
This book is the first official history of the Order. It begins with the argument, confusion and uncertainty that marked its origin at the height of the First World War, including the ridicule with which it was greeted. It traces the story of the changing appearance of its insignia, the repeated attempts to establish a chapel and concludes with the stability and popularity enjoyed by the Order today.
