Modern Britain is a nation shaped by wars. The boundaries of
its separate parts are the outcome of conquest and resistance.
Warrior heroes - real, imaginary and a mixture of both - are deeply
embedded in the collective memories and culture of the English,
Welsh, Scots and Irish. Boadicea, King Arthur, Wallace, Rob Roy and
Henry V still enjoy a powerful hold over the imagination.
Britishness has had a sense of collective identity which grew under
careful official cultivation during the global struggles of the
18th century and found its most powerful expression during the
world wars of the 20th. Modern war was seen as the ultimate test of
a nation''s moral and physical stamina, and Britain emerged with an
enviable record which underpinned national pride and a sense of
superiority that survived well into the second half of the 20th
century. This book investigates and examines the part played by war
in the making of Britain, embracing the most recent historical and
archaeological research.
關於作者:
Lawrence James studied History and English at York University
and subsequently undertook a research degree at Merton College,
Oxford. Following a career as a teacher, he became a full-time
writer in 1985.