The Official History of Britain

Our Story in Numbers as Told by the Office For National Statistics

By: David Bradbury, Boris Starling

Narrated by: Mark Meadows

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

A wonderfully written and entertaining book which places Britain under the microscope and asks who we are today and how we’ve changed as a nation.

In 1841 there were 734 female midwives working in Britain, along with nine artificial eye makers, 20 peg makers, six stamp makers and one bee dealer. Fast forward nearly two centuries and there are 51,000 midwives working in the UK and not an eye maker in sight! For the past two centuries, the National Census has been monitoring the behaviour of the British: our work-lives, homes lives and strange cultural habits. With questions on occupation, housing, religion, travel and family, the census is a snapshot of a country at any given epoch, and its findings have informed the economy, politics and every other national matter for decades that followed.

Now, for the first time ever, the census findings of the past two centuries are collected in to a wonderfully written and entertaining book which places Britain under the microscope and asks who we are and how we’ve changed as a nation. On our occupations, our working lives, relationships; our quirks, habits, weird interests and cultural beliefs - this book takes the listener on a journey through the statistical findings of one of the most valuable pieces of ongoing historical research of modern times and asks us what these fascinating numbers tells us about the Britain in the 21st century.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 David Bradbury, Boris Starling (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"'This book feels like an early stocking filler. It is entertaining and absorbing...the statistical detail can be illuminating." (The Sunday Times)

"A statistical history of Britain fit for the census year...short, readable and rigorous." (The Financial Times)