Simon Schama, Timothy West (Read by)

A History Of Britain

Volume 1: At The Edge Of The World? 3000BC - AD 1603

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Summary

To look back at the past is to understand the present. In this vivid account of over 4,000 years of British history Simon Schama takes us on an epic journey which encompasses the very beginnings of the nation’s identity, when the first settlers landed on Orkney. From the successes and failures of the monarchy to the daily life of a Roman soldier stationed on Hadrian’s Wall, Schama gives a vivid, fascinating account of the many different stories and struggles that lie behind the growth of our island nation. Simon Schama’s hugely successful BBC 2 series has shown him to be one of our most original and exciting historians. Timothy West’s abridged reading of the book accompanying the series, introduced by Schama himself reading his own Preface, bears further testimony to his extraordinary gift for story-telling. 'Schama is a giant, a great thinking-machine and a golden lyricist as well' - Mail on Sunday.

About the author

Simon Schama

Simon Schama is University Professor of Art History and History at Columbia University. His award-winning books, translated into fifteen languages, include Citizens, Landscape and Memory, Rembrandt's Eyes, A History of Britain, The Power of Art, Rough Crossings, The American Future, The Face of Britain and The Story of the Jews: Finding the Words (1000 BCE - 1492).

His art columns for the New Yorker won the National Magazine Award for criticism and his journalism has appeared regularly in the Guardian and the Financial Times where he is Contributing Editor. He has written and presented more than fifty films for the BBC on subjects as diverse as Tolstoy, American politics, and The Story of the Jews and is co-presenter of a new landmark series on the history of world art, Civilisations.

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