The Companion to British History

by Charles Arnold-Baker

Overview

First published in 1996, this comprehensive guide to the history of Britain and its peoples will be indispensable reading for the general enthusiast, as well as students. It is packed full of fascinating detail on everything from Hadrian’s Wall to the Black Death to Tony Blair. The book was assembled over more than thirty years and has seen updates in three editions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138928855
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/07/2016
Series:	Routledge Revivals
Pages:	1404
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

Editorial Reviews

The original 1996 edition of this A-Z encyclopedia was an indispensable source of information for students of every imaginable aspect of British history, politics, and culture. This edition brings readers right up to this new century, adding substantially to the earlier one which took over 30 years to compile. Arnold-Baker has written and broadcast widely on law and history and has received the O.B.E. for his work. The breadth of his research and his charmingly idiosyncratic entries make this essential reading for every lover of British history and culture. For example, under "Millennia," we find "the Dome celebrated the new year 2000 with a display of unexampled vulgarity"; under "Wollfington, Peg," an actress "had many lovers, including Garrick, and ended with a quarrel (on stage) with the playwright Mrs. Bellamy, whom she stabbed (off stage)." The text is filled with such delightful minutiae. In addition, the appendixes are extraordinarily informative. The obvious comparison is to the established Oxford Companion to British History (1997), a more comprehensive, scholarly work that still has its quirky charms. A thorough cross-check shows wide differences in coverage. For example, oddly, no mention of Princess Diana appears in the more recent Arnold-Baker book. Indeed, entries for both the Royal Family and the Beatles are very short and dry. True-blue British history buffs will want both books; certainly, the Arnold-Baker tome is a joy to browse through and should be in every library interested in any aspect of British history. A thoroughly delightful compendium; recommended for all libraries. Gail Benjafield, St. Catharines P.L., St. Catharines, Ont. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

'This marvellous book ... will enlighten, amuse and inform.' - Daily Mail

'This is a super book ... If you were marooned upon that mythical desert island with your discs and only one history book, this would be the one to take.' - Daily Telegraph

From the Publisher