The Discovery of Britain

A surprising history of Britain, from 500 million BC to the next election

Graham Robb has found a new format for writing history just as Craig Brown found a fresh way to write biography - Alan Johnson

Robb tumbles into British history with an infectious enthusiasm . . . immensely entertaining - Chris Bryant, author of The Glamour Boys

Taking the reader on a time-travelling adventure around the ‘spindly, sea-wracked islands’ we call home, The Discovery of Britain is history that's panoramic and intimate, poignant and shocking, seriously funny, and enlightening in the most surprising way.

In the assured hands of the prize-winning author of The Discovery of France, and often from the unique vantage point of his bicycle, we encounter an entertaining cast of characters, foreign and homegrown, drop in on places and events, and dwell on the successes and catastrophes across British history, seeing it all as it’s never been seen before.

Personal, political, geographical, and social in scope, and with intriguing maps and illustrations throughout, The Discovery of Britain can be devoured whole or each chapter read in the time it takes to change a bicycle tyre or drink a cup of coffee. The wonderful choice of how to enjoy this original and sweeping history of Britain – from ancient settlements swallowed up by the sea and the creation of Stonehenge to the advent of multiculturalism and recent political earthquakes – is yours.

Praise for Graham Robb:

Elegant, entertaining and occasionally brilliant - The Observer

Pedals along with never a dull moment - The Sunday Times

Robb carries the reader along on flawless prose – The Times

Beautifully written – TLS

Robb is a fascinating and hugely knowledgeable guide – London Review of Books

Clear-eyed but imaginative storytelling – Financial Times