The History of Britain Magazine
Welcome to the History of Britain! The home nations share a varied and shared history unlike anywhere else, so we thought it only right to create a section dedicated to our mutual heritage.
Vera Brittain and the Shell-Shocked Women of World War One
80,000 cases of shell shock – a forebear of modern Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – were reported by the British Army between 1914 and 1918. As we approach the 100th anniversary of the Armistice, Jobe Close discusses the largely overlooked female experience of shell shock…
T. E. Lawrence of Arabia
Thomas Edward (T.E) Lawrence, more popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia, was born at Tremadoc in North Wales …
The Battle of Passchendaele
On 6th November 1917, after three months of fierce fighting, British and Canadian forces finally took control of the tiny village of Passchendaele in the West Flanders region of Belgium, so ending one of the bloodiest battles of World War One…
Scottish Piper War Heroes
A tale of two very brave Scottish pipers, Piper Daniel Laidlaw VC and Piper Bill Millin…
George IV
King George IV was an extraordinary figure, dubbed ‘The First Gentleman of Europe’ and yet also an object of contempt and ridicule, particularly with regard to his love life…
The Blitz Spirit
The ‘Blitz Spirit’: stoicism and determination, the ability to make the best of it and triumph over adversity. But was it really a true reflection of the mood during the London Blitz of 1940?
The Luddites
On 9th October 1779, a group of English textile workers in Manchester rebelled against the introduction of machinery which threatened their skilled craft…
Bethnal Green Tube Disaster
The worst civilian disaster of World War II also represented the greatest single loss of life on the London Tube system, but curiously didn’t involve a train or vehicle of any description. On 3rd March 1943, an air-raid warning sounded and locals raced for cover at Bethnal Green tube station. Confusion and panic conspired to trap hundreds on the staircase entrance. In the crush that ensued, 173 were killed including 62 children with over 60 injured…
HMS Queen Elizabeth, Super-Dreadnought
The Royal Navy’s latest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, was commissioned into the Royal Navy in December 2017. Wind back the clock to December 1914, and another warship to bear the name was also commissioned into the fleet. Like her modern-day namesake, she was one of the most powerful of her time: a super dreadnought battleship!