Twenty of the most crucial moments in Britain's history. BBC History Magazine asked a selection of leading historians to choose and describe the twenty most important turning points in British history from AD 1000 to 2000. Collected together, their choices present a new way of looking at our nation's story. From the Danish invasion of Britain in 1016, to the Suez crisis in 1956, the key moments include victories (or defeats) both at home and abroad, plague, reform and even revolutions that have reshaped the British way of life. Each contribution brings the past to life, offering new perspectives and food for debate: did the Battle of Agincourt change England's role in Europe? What was the impact of American independence on Britain? Was 1916 more important than 1939? Thought-provoking and inspiring accounts.

1603 was the year that Queen Elizabeth I, the last of the Tudors, died. Her cousin, Robert Carey, immediately rode like a demon to Scotland to take the news to James VI. The cataclysmic time of the Stuart monarchy had come and the son of Mary Queen of Scots left Edinburgh for London to claim his throne as James I of England. Diaries and notes written in 1603 describe how a resurgence of the plague killed nearly 40,000 people. Priests blamed the sins of the people for the pestilence, witches were strangled and burned and plotters strung up on gate tops. But not all was gloom and violence. From a ship's log we learn of the first precious cargoes of pepper arriving from the East Indies after the establishment of a new spice route; Shakespeare was finishing Othello and Ben Jonson wrote furiously to please a nation thirsting for entertainment. 1603 was one of the most important and interesting years in British history. In 1603: The Death of Queen Elizabeth I, the Return of the Black Plague, the Rise of Shakespeare, Piracy, Witchcraft, and the Birth of the Stuart Era, Christopher Lee, acclaimed author of This Sceptred Isle, unfolds its story from first-hand accounts and original documents to mirror the seminal year in which Britain moved from Tudor medievalism towards the wars, republicanism and regicide that lay ahead.

Very often, history is thought of as that lesson we suffered through at school, made into boring facts and figures rather than the rich and interesting tales that actually comprise it. In English and British History in 100 Bite-size Chunks, history is enlivened and broken down into readable ‘chunks’ that anyone can read, and learn, at their leisure. Beginning at the beginning, with the physical formation of these lands, it ends where we are now, with our current lifestyle, government, society, beliefs, complexities, fears and hopes. It charts the development of England’s characteristics through the great and the good, and ordinary men and women; those who often get the glory and those who lived lives more hidden from history’s storytellers. It brings to life people, places, events and ideas; and successes and failures. This is not a story of England in splendid isolation but a more rounded picture touching on the influences from and on other places and nations, for good or bad, near and far in geography and time. 100 Bitesize Chunks are followed by a recognition of historic themes and some conclusions, and just a glimpse of the possible future history of a nation. A commentary on history itself, how we know, how ‘history works’, what we think of it, and how we care for it – or don’t care for it, this book is an encouragement to study history actively through the evidence we can see and touch and interpret, in museums and in its real locations. Ideal for anyone returning to history or for an enthusiast!

The Reader's Guide to British History is the essential source to secondary material on British history. This resource contains over 1,000 A-Z entries on the history of Britain, from ancient and Roman Britain to the present day. Each entry lists 6-12 of the best-known books on the subject, then discusses those works in an essay of 800 to 1,000 words prepared by an expert in the field. The essays provide advice on the range and depth of coverage as well as the emphasis and point of view espoused in each publication.

This second volume of papers on Thomas Harriot edited by Professor Robert Fox is based on the annual Harriot lectures delivered at Oriel College, Oxford between 2000 and 2009. It complements the previous volume, published as Thomas Harriot: An Elizabethan Man of Science in 2000. The focus in several of the papers is on Harriot's outstanding achievements as a mathematician; others consider why he has never received the recognition accorded to his great contemporary, Galileo; others again examine his association with his entrepreneurial patron Walter Ralegh and his contributions to the intensely practical world of exploration and seamanship, as exemplified in his voyage to the coast of present-day North Carolina in 1585. The volume adds significantly to our understanding of a true Renaissance man who wrote accomplished Latin, earned the respect of Europe's leading mathematicians and astronomers, and moved easily in circles close to the English court and whose 'Brief and true report of the new found land of Virginia' (1588) was the first detailed description of America to be published in the English language.

This volume collects essays that approach notions of creating, maintaining, and crossing boundaries in the history of the English language. The concept of boundaries is variously defined within linguistics depending on the theoretical framework, from formal and theoretical perspectives to specific fields and more empirical, physical, and perceptual angles. The contributions to this volume do not take one particular theoretical or methodological approach but, instead, explore how examining various types of boundaries—linguistic, conceptual, analytical, generic, physical—helps us illuminate and account for historical use, variation, and change in English. In their exploration of various topics in the history of English, contributions ask a range of questions: what does it mean to set up boundaries between time periods? When do language varieties have distinct boundaries and when do they overlap? Where do language users draw up clausal, constructional, semantic, phonetic/phonological boundaries? Thus, the chapters explore not only how boundaries illustrate synchronic and diachronic features in the history of the English language but also what we can discover by questioning perceived or actual boundaries.

In Queens and Power in Medieval and Early Modern England, Carole Levin and Robert Bucholz provide a forum for the underexamined, anomalous reigns of queens in history. These regimes, primarily regarded as interruptions to the ?normal? male monarchy, have been examined largely as isolated cases. This interdisciplinary study of queens throughout history examines their connections to one another, their constituents? perceptions of them, and the fallacies of their historical reputations. The contributors consider historical queens as well as fictional, mythic, and biblical queens and how they were represented in medieval and early modern England. They also give modern readers a glimpse into the early modern worldview, particularly regarding order, hierarchy, rulership, property, biology, and the relationship between the sexes. Considering topics as diverse as how Queen Elizabeth?s unmarried status affected the perception of her as a just and merciful queen to a reevaluation of ?good Queen Anne? as more than just an obese, conventional monarch, this volume encourages readers to reexamine previously held assumptions about the role of female monarchs in early modern history.

Are you fascinated by the rich and diverse history of the British Isles? Do you want to explore the key events, people, and ideas that have shaped England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland over the centuries? If so, then "British History: 4 in 1 History of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland" is the book for you. This comprehensive and engaging book provides a detailed overview of the history of these four nations, from the earliest settlements to the modern-day era of Brexit. With a wealth of primary and secondary sources at their disposal, the authors provide a rich and detailed account of the historical developments that have made the British Isles the complex and diverse region it is today. Organized chronologically, the book covers key periods such as the Middle Ages, the Tudor and Stuart eras, the Industrial Revolution, and the two World Wars. It also explores contemporary issues facing the four nations, including the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the rise of Scottish and Welsh nationalism, and the impact of Brexit on the future of the UK. But "British History: 4 in 1 History of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland" is not just a dry recitation of facts and figures. The book provides detailed analysis of the key figures who have shaped the history of the British Isles, from William the Conqueror to Margaret Thatcher, and explores the lives of ordinary people and the impact of social movements such as feminism, labor unions, and civil rights. Whether you are a history buff, a student of British culture, or simply curious about the rich and complex history of the British Isles, "British History: 4 in 1 History of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland" is an essential read. With its engaging prose, rich detail, and fascinating insights, this book is sure to captivate readers of all backgrounds and interests. Order your copy today and discover the story of the British Isles.