How could an island on the edge of Europe give rise to the power that, through kings, Parliament, empire and industrialisation, shaped the world for centuries? Anyone wishing to understand Great Britain, its political upheavals and its global influence, will find in this book far more than a mere chronicle. 'The History of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK)' is a fact-rich, clearly structured and compelling account of a nation whose rise, crises and transformations continue to resonate to the present day.
From the Celtic origins of Britain, the Roman conquest in AD 43 and the nearly four-hundred-year rule of the Romans, there emerged a historical landscape that had to be reorganised after their withdrawal in the fifth century. Angles, Saxons and Jutes struggled for supremacy until the Norman Conquest of 1066 under William the Conqueror marked a turning point that permanently changed England.
The book is equally compelling in its portrayal of the Middle Ages as a period of political consolidation. Magna Carta of 1215 appears as an early limitation of royal power and as the foundation of the development from which the modern parliamentary system emerged. Under the Tudors, especially Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, the country experienced religious conflict, the Reformation and at the same time a cultural flourishing that still echoes today as the Elizabethan Age.
The seventeenth century brought severe upheavals. The English Civil War from 1642 to 1651 curtailed the power of the monarch and prepared the way for constitutional monarchy. With the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the Bill of Rights, Parliament was further strengthened, allowing the political tradition that was to shape Great Britain enduringly to take form.
In the eighteenth century, Great Britain grew into one of the world's leading colonial powers. The British Empire gained influence, while the Industrial Revolution fundamentally transformed economy and society. In the nineteenth century, this development reached its height under Queen Victoria. The Empire extended across a quarter of the earth's land surface, while the abolition of slavery in 1833 and the introduction of universal suffrage in 1884 marked important stages on the road to modernity.
With great clarity, the book guides the reader through the twentieth century. The First World War marked the beginning of the decline of imperialism, while the Second World War brought Great Britain to the brink of defeat before it reasserted itself with the help of the Allies. In this struggle, Winston Churchill became a symbolic figure of resistance to Hitler. After 1945, decolonisation, the Commonwealth of Nations and social upheavals transformed the country profoundly.
Into the twenty-first century, Great Britain remains an important political and cultural actor. Brexit and withdrawal from the European Union in 2020 mark a new turning point, the consequences of which are still felt today. Bert Alexander Petzold combines historical precision with a vivid and highly readable style that organises connections and makes turning points easy to understand. The book is ideally suited to preparing for examinations leading to higher education entrance qualifications and for study at university.
Anyone wishing to understand the history of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland not merely through catchwords but in its full depth will find in this volume an informed introduction. Secure your copy of 'The History of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK)' now and discover a work of non-fiction that brings together political intrigue, military conflict, cultural achievements and consequences of world-historical significance.