English Britain

The English-speaking peoples comprise perhaps the greatest number of human beings sharing a common language in the world today. These people also share a common heritage. For his four-volume work, Sir Winston Churchill took as his subject these great elements in world history. Volume 1 commences in 55BC, when Julius Caesar famously "turned his gaze upon Britain" and concludes with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

AN ECONOMIST AND NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A fresh, exciting, “readable and informative” history (The New York Times) of seventeenth-century England, a time of revolution when society was on fire and simultaneously forging the modern world. “Recapture[s] a lost moment when a...

Join Stephen Fry as he delves in to the secrets of one of the most extraordinary monarchs in one of our most extraordinary eras in English history. A woman in a man’s world. And not just any woman – but Elizabeth I, one of the greatest and most secretive monarchs of all time. This queen realised that her sex, far from being a weakness, could be deployed as a strength. It’s not an overstatement to say that England’s politics, religion, and culture have all been shaped by what she did and said. And what she kept secret. This wasn’t just a time of poets, playwrights and poachers.

Delve into the captivating world of Roman Britain with this concise exploration of one of history's most intriguing eras. In this meticulously researched book, uncover the remarkable story of Roman occupation in Britain, spanning from the invasions of Julius Caesar to the eventual decline of Roman influence.

In the early 1970s, Britain seemed to be tottering on the brink of the abyss. Under Edward Heath, the optimism of the '60s had become a distant memory. Now the headlines were dominated by strikes and blackouts, unemployment and inflation. As the world looked on in horrified fascination, Britain seemed to be tearing itself apart. And yet, amid the gloom, glittered a creativity and cultural dynamism that would influence our lives long after the nightmarish '70s had been forgotten.

This magnificent biography of Henry VIII is set against the cultural, social and political background of his court - the most spectacular court ever seen in England - and the splendour of his many sumptuous palaces. An entertaining narrative packed with colourful description and a wealth of anecdotal evidence, but also a comprehensive analytical study of the development of both monarch and court during a crucial period in English history.

Troy Taylor, a brilliant AI professor known as "Double T," creates SLEEP TRACER, an app that records dreams and secretly plants subliminal suggestions in sleeping minds. Initially designed to slow his mother's Alzheimer's, the technology becomes an obsession. Troy builds TRACERNET, a hidden network manipulating millions of users without their knowledge, harvesting their deepest secrets and reshaping their subconscious desires.

The story of Britain from the earliest settlements in 3000BC to the death of Elizabeth I in 1603. To look back at the past is to understand the present. In this vivid account of over 4,000 years of British history, Simon Schama takes us on an epic journey which encompasses the very beginnings of the nation's identity, when the first settlers landed on Orkney. From the successes and failures of the monarchy to the daily life of a Roman soldier stationed on Hadrian's Wall, Schama gives a vivid, fascinating account of the many different stories and struggles that lie behind the growth of our island nation.

Fly For Your Life is the official biography of Royal Air Force (RAF) Ace Robert Stanford Tuck. Thrust into a leadership role amidst the chaos of the Dunkirk evacuation, Tuck would distinguish himself as one of the RAF’s elite officers becoming the first Spitfire Ace. Further challenging times for Tuck would lie ahead in the coming months when Britain was in terrible danger. Nazi Germany was planning an invasion and the fighter pilots of the RAF would be at the forefront of Britain’s defence. In what would become known as the Battle of Britain; Tuck would show relentless commitment, ...

On a Halloween night, eight boys are led on an incredible journey into the past by the mysterious “spirit” Moundshroud. Riding a dark autumn wind from ancient Egypt to the land of the Celtic druids, from Mexico to a cathedral in Paris, they will witness the haunting beginnings of the holiday...

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone Lisa Jewell, two women's lives converge in a house containing devastating secrets that refuse to stay buried in this "deliciously dark, devilishly addictive" (Alice Feeney, bestselling author of...

This “enthralling” (Woman’s World) epic saga from internationally bestselling authorJulia Kelly explores love, motherhood, and betrayal against the backdrop of World War II. Liverpool, 1935: Raised in a strict Catholic family, Viv Byrne knows what’s expected of her: marry a Catholic man...

From the bestselling author of Witchcraft, the captivating, compassionate account of a moral panic that swept across Britain during the English Civil War, leaving hundreds of so-called witches dead in its wake. Predating the Salem witch trials by decades—though linked by ideology and, in some...

The British wars began on the morning of 23 July 1637, heralding 200 years of battles. Most were driven by religious or political conviction, as Republicans and Royalists, Catholics and Protestants, Tories and Whigs, and colonialists and natives vied for supremacy. Of the battles not fought on home territory, many took place across Europe, America, India, and also at sea. Schama's examination of this turbulent period reveals how the British people eventually united in imperial enterprise, forming 'Britannia Incorporated'.

In this massive bestseller in England, one of Britain's most popular and esteemed historians tells the epic story of the birth of the country. Peter Ackroyd, whose work has always been underpinned by a profound interest in and understanding of England's history, now tells the epic story of...

The forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion tells the earlier history of Middle-earth, recounting the events of the First and Second Ages, and introducing some of the key characters, such as Galadriel, Elrond, Elendil and the Dark Lord, Sauron. The tales of The Silmarillion are set...

Based on a comprehensive, landmark investigation, this ground-breaking history reveals the true significance of the trade in enslaved Africans in Britain’s development as a modern nation. *ACCOMPANIED BY A MAJOR BBC DOCUMENTARY* They came from a wide range of backgrounds: plumbers as well as...

The clever and compelling tale of a war-scarred journalist caught in the lives of a country rebuilding itself from one of the greatest chroniclers of our times, Kate Atkinson. It's the summer of 1951 and everyone is looking to put the dark days of the war behind them. The government’s solution...

Bloomsbury presents Aelfred's Britain by Max Adams, read by Kris Dyer. The story of Aelfred the Great, his war against the Vikings and the foundations of modern Britain. In AD 865, a 'great host' of battle-hardened Norse warriors landed on England's eastern coast, overwhelmed East Anglia with...

One of history’s most complex and alluring women comes to life in this classic novel by the legendary Jean Plaidy. Young Anne Boleyn was not beautiful, but she was irresistible, capturing the hearts of kings and commoners alike. Daughter of an ambitious country lord, Anne was sent to France to...