England: The Autobiography - 2,000 Years of English History by Those Who Saw It Happen

England: The Autobiography - 2,000 Years of English History by Those Who Saw It Happen by Lewis-Stempel, John. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780670915538.

Fountainhead of democracy, engine of the industrial Revolution, epicentre of the globes greatest empire and the first-ditch stand against an expansionist Germany in two world wars: Englands history is among the most fascinating and influential the world has ever known. This unique volume presents that history in unique form: first-hand, through the words of those who saw it and those who made it. All the great events of the last 2,000 years are here: the Norman Conquest, Magna Carta, the Peasants Revolt, Henry Viiis break with Rome, the Great Fire of London, Nelson at Trafalgar, two world wars. Alongside these are the less obvious happenings which together capture the nations social history, such as the Black Death of 1349 or life as a chimney sweep in 1817. And of course there are the things that have shaped the nature of Englishness, like theatregoing in Elizabethan London, fox hunting in 1898, Oatess self-sacrifice at the South Pole, the Beatles and the 1966 World Cup.