British history for dummies - Sean Lang

Its not uncommon to hear an American tourist in Britain say "I cant believe this building is so old," only to be followed by a British answer, "Its not old, its only fifteenth century." And the amazing thing is not that the buildings are old: its that theyre still in use. You can go to a church in Britain where Saxons worshipped; you can drive along motorways that follow lines laid down by the Romans. Its silly to complain that the British somehow live in the past: The past lives in the British.

And now youve picked up
British History For Dummies,
probably because:

• You studied British history at school, but found it all very confusing
• You liked the subject, but your memorys hazy about who did what and when
• You did some English history but only touched on Wales or Scotland or Ireland, and only when they were giving the English grief (or, more likely, when the English were giving grief to them)
• You enjoy a good story and want to know more

You can read
British History For Dummies
from beginning to end or by jumping from topic to topic. The material is divided into parts that represent a particular period in Britains history, including

• Britains early days, from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, where youll meet the mysterious Celts and the wacky Druids
• The age of the invaders, when everyone wanted to conquer BritainRomans, Saxons, Angles, Vikings, and Normans.
• The Middle Ages, with its knights in armour and fair maidens
• The Rise of the Royals, or more accurately, the English Tudor family and the Scottish Stuarts. Here, youll meet Henry VIII; Queen Elizabeth; and Mary, Queen of Scots
• The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, when Britain created the most powerful nation the world had ever known
• The Twentieth Century, when World War I left Britain deeply scarred. Throw in Irish rebellion, a global Depression, and an aggressive German dictator and youll discover why the sun set over the great Empire and left Britain searching for a new role

If your idea of a history book is what you read in school, forget it. This book is different. It tells you the whole story, but does so without putting you to sleep. This is a great story: Dont miss it.