The Wordsworth Dictionary Of British History

This work covers the history of Great Britain and Ireland from the invasion of 55 BC to the latter half of the 20th century. There are over 3000 entries arranged in alphabetical order, encompassing domestic, social and political events, foreign affairs and economic developments.

Written by over 100 specialist contributors, this dictionary describes the people and events that have shaped and defined domestic, political, social, and cultural life in Britain since 55 BC. New entries to this edition include Diamond Jubilee 2012, Ed Miliband, and United Kingdom Independence Party; and existing entries on David Cameron, Elizabeth II, national debt, and Alex Salmond have been updated. Derived from the highly acclaimed Oxford Companion to British History, A Dictionary of British History has been a leading historical reference work since its publication in 2001. Now thoroughly revised and fully updated, this invaluable A-Z remains essential for anyone studying British history.

For much of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Britain was the dominant world power, its strength based in large part on its command of an Empire that, in the years immediately after World War I, encompassed almost one-quarter of the earth’s land surface and one-fifth of its population. Writers boasted that the sun never set on British possessions, which provided raw materials that, processed in British factories, could be re-exported as manufactured products to expanding colonial markets. The commercial and political might was not based on any grand strategic plan of territorial acquisition, however. The Empire grew piecemeal, shaped by the diplomatic, economic, and military circumstances of the times, and its speedy dismemberment in the mid-twentieth century was, similarly, a reaction to the realities of geopolitics in post-World War II conditions. Today the Empire has gone but it has left a legacy that remains of great significance in the modern world. The Historical Dictionary of the British Empire covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Britain.

From the Romantic age to the twenty-first century, The Routledge Dictionary of Modern British History is an essential guide to 250 years of history that have seen ‘this sceptr’d isle’ rise, fall and rise again as a major world power. A colourful, highly readable text, The Routledge Dictionary of Modern British History covers: Prime Ministers, from William Pitt to Winston Churchill and Tony Blair protest movements, from Chartism to CND 'the Troubles' and the journey towards a fragile peace in Northern Ireland military conflict from the Crimea to Iraq historic turning points from the Great Reform Act to the Poll Tax riots. An important and user-friendly resource, this comprehensive reference is ideal for A-Level students and first year undergraduates, as well as anyone interested in the history of the United Kingdom.

An authoritative and wide-ranging survey of over 2000 years of British history, from Roman times to the present day. Comprizing over 3000 articles and written by a team of leading academic historians, the guide constitutes a useful source of information about the people, events and culture that have shaped Britain's development over the past two millennia.