Small Island: 12 Maps That Explain The History of Britain

Can the questions of Britain's future be answered by the maps of our past A fascinating analysis of a dozen maps from critical points in British history over the last 2,000 years, from the Celtic period when 'Britain' was just a patchwork of tribal kingdoms, to a century ago when the whole of Ireland, India, Australia, much of Africa, Asia and the Americas were also marked as British. Charting the assembling and disassembling of regions under British rule, this book features maps that teach us about the political and cultural evolution of the nation, and much of our past that we often forget. With current borders being disputed and, with them, identities challenged, this book will provide a reassuring insight into how our country's borders have always been, and always will be, in a state of flux.
Discover the 12 crucial moments in Britain's past that will answer the greatest questions for our future in this richly insightful and fascinating history'A richly entertaining canter through the country's past. Engrossing' INDEPENDENT___________In 878 the borders of Alfred the Great's Wessex were confined to a small patch of marshland in Somerset. This was Britain.Four centuries later, and the country straddled the English Channel, embracing much of what we now know as France.Six hundred years later, its boundaries were to be found in the Caribbean, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Sunda Strait. These, too, were Britain.Yet when - and where - did Britain begin?Is the shape of Britain led by the British - or are foreign powers more responsible for our borders than we realise? Is Britain justified in its island mentality? Will Britain ever be at ease with its own borders?And is the shape of Britain soon to change all over again? . . .This comprehensive, entertaining and concise new history uses twelve maps to explain Britain's most characteristic trait - our need to be both part of the wider world, yet separate from it.**Please note a printing error in map 10 is now being fixed**