Modern Britain is a nation shaped by wars. The boundaries of its separate parts are the outcome of conquest and resistance. The essence of its identity are the warrior heroes, both real and imagined, who still capture the national imagination; from Boudicca to King Arthur, William Wallace to Henry V, the Duke of Wellington to Winston Churchill. In WARRIOR RACE, Lawrence James investigates the role played by war in the making of Britain. Drawing on the latest historical and archaeological research, as well as numerous unfamiliar and untapped resources, he charts the full reach of British military history: the physical and psychological impact of Roman military occupation; the monarchy's struggle for mastery of the British Isles; the civil wars of the seventeenth century; the 'total war' experience of twentieth century conflict. WARRIOR RACE is popular history at its very best: immaculately researched and hugely readable. Balancing the broad sweep of history with an acute attention to detail, Lawrence James never loses sight of this most fascinating and enduring of subjects: the question of British national identity and character.
for THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE:
- 'The range, sweep and sheer verve of the book are prodigious…a masterpiece' - A N Wilson
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for RAJ: 'Wonderful….modern narrative history at its bravest' - Jan Morris, THE TIMES
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for WARRIOR RACE: 'Compellingly written…Lawrence James has read unusually widely' -MRD Foot, SPECTATOR
Paperback:
£10.99
Published 05/09/2002
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