Covering over 2,000 years in under 200 pages, Jeremy Black takes the reader on a breathless tour of British history, providing invaluable context for students of any period. A truly British overview, this book covers all four constituent parts of the UK, as well as migration to and from Britain, and introduces questions of national identity and collective memory.

The author begins by considering how the geography of Britain has influenced its development and goes on to examine the formation of its society and political culture. Resisting the Whiggish tradition of triumphalist national histories, Jeremy Black provides a balanced and sensitive account in his trademark pithy style.

This new edition has been considerably revised and expanded, bringing the coverage right up to the present day, including what the Scottish referendum on independence says about the nature of modern 'Britishness'.