Modern Britain

A History of Modern Britain by Andrew Marr confronts head-on the victory of shopping over politics. It tells the story of how the great political visions of New Jerusalem or a second Elizabethan Age, rival idealisms, came to be defeated by a culture of consumerism, celebrity and...

*Shortlisted for best audiobook at the True Crime Awards 2026* In this groundbreaking new book from the UK's leading criminologist, David Wilson explores what our nation's most lethal murderers reveal about us in a thrilling blend of history and true crime. Professor David Wilson is renowned for...

Immerse yourself in contemporary British fiction with an intimate short story collection exploring intersecting lives. Perfect for a reflective commute or an evening wind-down, these observant, character-driven narratives transform ordinary moments into profound emotional journeys. From a gig...

In The Making of Modern Britain, Andrew Marr paints a fascinating portrait of life in Britain during the first half of the twentieth century as the country recovered from the grand wreckage of the British Empire. Between the death of Queen Victoria and the end of the Second World War, the nation...

Spanning eighty captivating hours, Durant Masterworks curates four of Will Durant's most celebrated works into a single, thematically rich portrait of Western thought from its origins to the modern age. This anthology traces the evolution of Western thought from ancient philosophy through medieval faith, early modern conflict, and the rise of England as a global power. Durant's storytelling is vivid, engaging, and deeply human, bringing history's greatest ideas and personalities to life with unmatched clarity.

The internationally bestselling author of Who Cooked the Last Supper? presents a wickedly witty and very current history of the extraordinary female rebels, reactionaries, and trailblazers who left their mark on history from the French Revolution up to the present day. Now is the time for a new...

This is an extraordinary chronicle of the fifteen years, 1815–1830, that laid the foundations of modern society. It is a history of people, ideas, politics, manners, morals, economics, art, science and technology, diplomacy, business and commerce, literature, and revolution. From Wellington at...

From the author of the classic multimillion bestseller The Shell Seeker, comes Rosamunde Pilcher's September, a story of homecomings and heartbreaks, friendships, betrayals, forgiveness, and love. The basis for the TV mini-series of the same name, now available on streaming platforms. A place...

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Rosamunde Pilcher, Winter Solstice (the basis for the TV movie) is the story of five unforgettable characters, lonely and haunted strangers who find love and loyalty as a reborn family of friends during the Christmas holidays. Elfrida Phipps, once of...

'Thoroughly researched and extremely readable' THE TIMES 'Fascinating, gripping, revelatory' KATE WILLIAMS 'An epic and clever history' GARETH RUSSELL 'I know no rival to this book in its presentation of a major dynasty in English history' DIARMAID MACCULLOCH THOMAS MADE ENGLAND. OLIVER MADE...

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...

In The Taste of Empire, acclaimed historian Lizzie Collingham tells the story of how the British Empire's quest for food shaped the modern world. Told through 20 meals over the course of 450 years, from the Far East to the New World, Collingham explains how Africans taught Americans how to grow rice, how the East India Company turned opium into tea, and how Americans became the best-fed people in the world.

In the summer of 1914, the City of London was the financial capital of the world. By 1917, it was weeks away from bankruptcy. How Britain Pawned an Empire to Buy Victory reveals the untold economic history of World War I—a conflict that was fought not just with soldiers and shells, but with gold bullion and credit lines. While history books focus on the trenches of the Western Front, a far more decisive battle was raging in the boardrooms of Wall Street and the vaults of the Bank of England. This gripping narrative explores how the cost of modern industrial warfare forced the British ...

Cursed Britain unveils the enduring power of witchcraft, curses, and black magic in modern times. Few topics are so secretive or controversial. Yet, whether in the 1800s or the early 2000s, when disasters struck or personal misfortunes mounted, many Britons found themselves believing in things they had previously dismissed—dark supernatural forces. Historian Thomas Waters here explores the lives of cursed or bewitched people, along with the witches and witch-busters who helped and harmed them.

In January 1923, Edith Thompson was hanged at Holloway Prison. No weapon was ever connected to her. No blood was found on her clothes. She was convicted on sixty private love letters that a jury chose to read as a murder conspiracy. Before forensic science, guilt was a matter of opinion — and opinion was shaped by class, race and reputation. SECOND EDITION — substantially revised and updated, September 2026 Re-researched against trial transcripts, coroners' reports and Home Office files. Dozens of factual corrections, new documented detail in every chapter, a tightened narrative, and a ...

Wales might seem like a quiet corner of the globe, but its history is anything but silent…. From Celtic warriors to Roman conquerors, this book takes you on a journey exploring a captivating nation forged through centuries of battles and achievements.

The Victorians are often credited with ushering in our current era, yet the seeds of change were planted in the years before. The Regency (1811-1820) began when the profligate Prince of Wales - the future King George IV - replaced his insane father, George III, as Britain's ruler. Around the regent surged a society steeped in contrasts: evangelicalism and hedonism, elegance and brutality, exuberance and despair. The arts flourished at this time with a showcase of extraordinary writers and painters such as Jane Austen, Lord Byron, the Shelleys, John Constable, and J. M. W. Turner.

With enchanting descriptions of natural landscapes, and a deep well of humanity, boundless humor, and unbridled joy, Deakin beckons us to wilder waters and inspires us to connect to the larger world in a most unexpected way. Thrilling, vivid, and lyrical, Waterlog is a fully immersive adventure-a remarkable personal quest, a bold assertion of the swimmer's right to roam, and an unforgettable celebration of the magic of water. 

A History of Modern Britain by Andrew Marr confronts head-on the victory of shopping over politics. It tells the story of how the great political visions of New Jerusalem or a second Elizabethan Age, rival idealisms, came to be defeated by a culture of consumerism, celebrity and...

The Clockwork Universe is the story of a band of men who lived in a world of dirt and disease but pictured a universe that ran like a perfect machine. A meld of history and science, this book is a group portrait of some of the greatest minds who ever lived as they wrestled with natures most sweeping mysteries. The answers they uncovered still hold the key to how we understand the world.