Small Island Av Philip Parker

<b>Discover the 12 crucial moments in Britain's past that will answer the greatest questions for our future in this richly insightful and fascinating history<br><br>'A richly entertaining canter through the country's past. Engrossing' </b><i>INDEPENDENT<br></i>___________<br><br>In 878 the borders of Alfred the Great's Wessex were confined to a small patch of marshland in Somerset. This was Britain.<br><br>Four centuries later, and the country straddled the English Channel, embracing much of what we now know as France.<br><br>Six hundred years later, its boundaries were to be found in the Caribbean, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Sunda Strait. These, too, were Britain.<br><br>Yet when - and where - did Britain begin?<br><br>Is the shape of Britain led by the British - or are foreign powers more responsible for our borders than we realise? Is Britain justified in its island mentality? Will Britain ever be at ease with its own borders?<br><br>And is the shape of Britain soon to change all over again? . . .<br><b><br>This comprehensive, entertaining and concise new history uses twelve maps to explain Britain's most characteristic trait - our need to be both part of the wider world, yet separate from it.</b><br><br>**Please note a printing error in map 10 is now being fixed**