Vol. 1 The Birth of Britain

A rousing account of the early history of Britain, the work describes the great men and women of the past and their impact on the development of the legal and political institutions of the English. Indeed, Churchill celebrates the creation of the constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system and the kings, queens, and leading nobles who helped create English democracy.

Vol. 2 The New World

Between 1485 and 1688, England became a Protestant country under Henry VIII. His daughter, Elizabeth I, battled for succession and supremacy at home, and the discovery of "the round world" enabled a vast continent across the Atlantic to be explored. While this new era was spawning the beginnings of modern America, England was engaged in a bloody civil war and sustained a Republican experiment under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell.

Vol. 3 The Age of Revolution

Beginning with Marlborough's victory at Blenheim in 1704 and ending with Wellington's defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, Churchill recounts Britain's rise to world leadership over the course of the eighteenth century. In this volume Churchill provides an excellent illustration of his unique literary voice, together with an introduction to his thoughts on the forces that shape human affairs.

Vol. 4 The Great Democracies

This last volume spans the period between 1815 and 1901. It draws to a close when the British Empire is at its peak - with a staggering one-fifth of the human race presided over by the longest reigning monarch in British history. Queen Victoria. As with the other volumes it is a history not only of the English-speaking peoples, but also fo the world that they inhabit. Churchill traces the footsteps of these inhabitants, whether it is to Canada and South Africa, Australia and New Zealand or across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States. He charts the rise of Germany and the unification of Italy, and examines the situation in the Balkans in 1878 - all of which had a deep and lasting impact on the geography of the European continent today. RECOVERY AND REFORM Victory Peace; Canning and the Duke; Reform and Free Trade; Crimean War; Palmerston; Migration of the Peoples: Canada and South Africa; Migration of the Peoples: Australia and New Zealand THE GREAT REPUBLIC American Epic; Slavery and Secession; Union in Danger; Campaign Against Richmond; Lee and McClellan; Chancellorsville and Gettysburg; Victory of the Union THE VICTORIAN AGE Rise of Germany; Gladstone and Disraeli; American 'Reconstruction'; America as a World-Power; Home Rule for Ireland; Lord Salisbury's Governments; South African War


Notes:
- alternate sources: volume 1 - volume 2 - volume 3 - volume 4

plus-circle Add Review

comment

Reviews