The story of Britain

Description

"Sir Roy Strong, author, broadcaster, former Director of the National Portrait Gallery and of the Victoria & Albert Museum, tells the story of Britain from the very earliest recorded Celtic times to the era of Margaret Thatcher. And, in a reaction against the current presentation of history as illustrated double-page spreads arranged by subject, he tells the story as a continuous narrative, in chapters which give meaning and point to every period with which they deal. The story of Britain is, after all, an exciting one, peopled with great characters, huge events, turbulent dramas, an understanding of which is essential if we are fully to appreciate where we are now. The monarchy, parliament, the law, the church - all the great institutions whose fortunes are so much part of the fabric of our history are here seen in perspective, affecting the everyday lives of ordinary men and women against an ever-changing social, cultural and economic background. It is a tremendous story; Roy Strong, with his passionate enthusiasm and wide-ranging knowledge, is the ideal person to tell it."--BOOK JACKET.

Description

From the Celts to Margaret Thatcher, the story of this extraordinary island people is told here in one continuous, breathtaking narrative in a magical recreation of one of human history's most wondrous chapters. These two thousand years of Britain's past - the drama of its history, the genius of its people, the glory of its culture - teem with momentous events and extraordinary people. Warring nations, from the Romans to the Normans, fought over the island to make it. their own. Some of its monarchs were born leaders of men and natural soldiers, with enormous vitality and physical charm, who staked their claim on the shores of other lands. Others gave their names to periods of Western history which left and indelible impression on our traditions and consciousness. The great institutions its people forged in the course of time, like parliament and the law, not only shaped the destiny of its own land but deeply influenced other. countries and civilizations, especially the United States. This is a story of epic sweep and grandeur, and Sir Roy Strong weaves the many colorful strands of the story into a rich tapestry in which the everyday lives of ordinary men and women are seen against an ever-changing social, cultural, and economic background.

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