Anglotopia has a new book out, and it’s now available today from booksellers everywhere (and direct from us). It feels a bit odd announcing a book we actually already announced a few months ago during the Save Anglotopia Sale. But the book is done now and in print. I’m very, very pleased with how it’s turned out as this book uses a new format that we’ll be using for more books later this year (coming soon Great Events in British History, Great British Icons, Great British Houses, and more!).
So, what is the book all about? Here’s the official synopsis:
25 women. 25 men. Your complete guide to the 50 greatest Brits who ever lived. This book is a survey of the 50 most interesting, important, and impactful figures in British history. In this guide through British history, you’ll learn about great military figures, great statesmen, great women, scientists, writers, and much more. If you’ve ever watched British TV and were wondering just who they were talking about when a historical figure was mentioned, this book is for you. Each chapter is a survey of their life, their impact on British history, and a springboard for future research.
The book is a 6×9 paperback book, creme color pages with black & white pictures. It’s just over 300 pages and has 50 chapters. The eBook is also available from today as well.
We’ve also made a minor editorial change to the book. There are actually 51 chapters in the book. Between when we announced the book two months ago and finalized it a few weeks ago, we decided that Sir Winston Churchill deserved an extended chapter and it has become a ‘bonus’ chapter at the end. So there’s the 50 ‘Great Britons’ plus the greatest of them all — Churchill.
You can, of course, buy the book directly from us – that’s how we make the most money. But you can also buy it from any bookstore, just give them the title or the ISBN and they can order you a copy. If you have a local independent bookshop, we encourage you to order it from them.
Our publisher copies are on their way to us and we should have them later this week. This means that if you ordered a single copy in the Save Anglotopia Sale a few months ago, you will have your copy very soon. If you purchased the Save Anglotopia Bundle, you will get your copy when the final book – 101 UK Culture Tips – comes out this summer.
About the book:
- Publisher : Anglotopia LLC (May 1, 2021)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 342 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1955273111
- ISBN-13 : 978-1955273114
- Item Weight : 1.11 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.98 x 0.76 x 9.02 inches
Here are all the bookstore links we could find as of today:
eBook Links:
Here’s the introduction to give you an idea of what to expect:
Twenty-five women. Twenty-five men. The greatest Britons who ever lived. A few years ago we started a regular column on Anglotopia called ‘Great Britons’ which was intended to be an ongoing survey of great British historical figures. Almost 100 articles later, it’s been one of my favorite columns to publish. We’ve learned so much over the years, and learned about so many historical figures you don’t simply learn about in a typical American education.
We have sought to create the first guide to great British historical figures, evenly split down the middle between women and men. There are so many important women in British history, that have been brushed out of it. But we’re rediscovering more every day. You may not have heard of a lot of the women we’ve chosen to include, and that’s a good thing! As a corollary to that, whittling down to just 25 men was a challenge as well. I’ve leaned on my own interests in historical figures and who are widely considered the ‘most’ important. So, Tolkien is in while someone like William Morris is out (though he was fascinating!).
Growing up in America and going through an American centered education, I encountered a major problem as an Anglophile watching hours and house of British TV: I was actually very unfamiliar with a lot of the major figures in British history. I simply didn’t know who they were or why they were important. I knew all about the Founding Fathers, our great and terrible presidents, and other American historical figures. But very little about who Nelson was or why he was ‘great.’ This book is for those like me, who simply didn’t know who a lot of these people are.
First, I need to define by what we mean by ‘great.’ It does not mean they were amazing people, it means they had a massive or important impact on British history. Their greatness derives from their importance. So, you will find less then savory characters in here – like Cecil Rhodes or Margaret Thatcher or Cromwell (and their terribleness is up for lots of debate which is not what this book is). When we initially published these articles on our website, the internet commentariat had a lot of problems with this definition of ‘great.’ Hopefully it makes more sense in book form.
Who is a ‘Briton’ exactly? Technically, anyone born on the Island of Great Britain. But this is too narrow of a definition because several great figures in British history were born in Ireland or in Britain’s empire. So, we define a ‘Briton’ as anyone who played a role in overall British history – locally and globally. An example is someone like Mary Seacole, a Jamaican who was a very important person in British nursing history. Someone like Nancy Astor is an American, but she became part of the British aristocracy and was the first woman to take her seat in the British Parliament – a major achievement.
With the exception of a few Roman era queens, we’ve deliberately left monarchs out of this selection. They’ll get their own book like this in time. There are a few important aristocrats, however, and we’ve included Princess Diana for the effect she had on Britain when she lived and when she died.
Undoubtedly some will think that we’ve left someone important out. And they would be right. It’s not possible to include all of them in a reasonably sized book. But it is possible to give a good overview of the most important ones so you know what they’re talking about when watching British TV documentaries or British films. If you want an encyclopedia of all the most important Brits who have ever lived, I highly recommend browsing the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (heavily consulted in the writing of these articles I might add!).
We have made every effort to ensure that each article is accurate and true. Each article was fact-checked before they were initially published and now before publication in this book. Inevitably some mistakes will slip through. We’re not trained historians, we’re enthusiastic amateurs with a passion for British history, doing our best to break down these great figures for a non-British audience. We have done our best.
Each entry is meant to be a survey of the person’s life and impact. They’re not exhaustive biographies but rather springboards for your own further research – which is why each one has a list of books, dramas, documentaries etc where you can learn a lot more.
Finally, Sir Winston Churchill is included as a ‘bonus’ chapter, considered by most historians to be the ‘Greatest Briton’ who ever lived, he deserves the last spot in the book along with an extended essay that covers his whole complicated and fascinating life.
What you will find in this book are people who have shaped Britain into what it is today, whether you think that is a good thing or not. We’ve tried to stick to the facts, and keep our opinions to a minimum. We hope you enjoy this guide to the Greatest Britons.
And finally, here’s the full list of who is in the book if you’re curious:
- HORATIO NELSON
- ADA LOVELACE
- THOMAS HARDY
- NELL GWYN
- CECIL RHODES
- AGATHA CHRISTIE
- 1ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON
- BEATRIX POTTER
- ALAN TURING
- BESS OF HARDWICK
- BENJAMIN DISRAELI
- BOADICEA
- CAPTAIN JAMES COOK
- ELIZABETH FRY
- ISAAC NEWTON
- EMMELINE PANKHURST
- ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL
- JANE AUSTEN
- WILLIAM BLIGH
- FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
- OLIVER CROMWELL
- GEORGIANA CAVENDISH
- ROBERT WALPOLE
- CARTIMANDUA
- SIR WALTER RALEIGH
- EMMA HAMILTON
- 1ST DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH
- MARY SEACOLE
- WILLIAM WILBERFORCE
- THE BRONTE SISTERS
- CHARLES DARWIN
- OCTAVIA HILL
- JOHN CONSTABLE
- LADY MONTAGU
- CHARLES DICKENS
- GRACE DARLING
- ROBBIE BURNS
- MRS BEETON
- SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN
- MARIE STOPES
- RUDYARD KIPLING
- NANCY ASTOR
- WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
- NANCY MITFORD
- WILLIAM TYNDALE
- VIRGINIA WOOLF
- JMW TURNER
- MARGARET THATCHER
- JRR TOLKIEN
- PRINCESS DIANA
- SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL (This is a bonus chapter)
Here’s an excerpt to give you an idea of what to expect:
