A History of the British Isles: Prehistory to the Present

A History of the British Isles is a balanced and integrated political, social, cultural and religious history of the British Isles in all its complexity, exploring the constantly evolving dialogue and relationship between the past and the present.A wide range of topics and questions are addressed for each period and territory discussed, including England’s Wars of the Roses of the 15th century and their influence on court politics during the 16th century; Ireland’s Rebellion of 1798, the Potato Famine of the 1840s and the Easter Rising of 1916; the two World Wars and the Great Depression; British cultural and social change during the 1960s; and the history and future of the British Isles in the present day.Kenneth Campbell integrates the histories of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales by exploring common themes and drawing on comparative examples, while also demonstrating how those histories are different, making this a genuinely integrated text. Campbell’s approach allows readers to appreciate the history of the British Isles not just for its own sake, but for the purposes of understanding our current political divisions, our world and ourselves.

Reviews of A History of the British Isles: Prehistory to the Present

Kenneth L. Campbell is Professor of History at Monmouth University, USA. He is the author of Ireland's History: From Prehistory to the Present (2013) and Western Civilization: A Global and Comparative Approach, Volumes I & II (2012). A History of the British Isles is a balanced and integrated political, social, cultural and religious history of the British Isles in all its complexity, exploring the constantly evolving dialogue and relationship between the past and the present.A wide range of topics and questions are addressed for each period and territory discussed, including England's Wars of the Roses of the 15th century and their influence on court politics during the 16th century; Ireland's Rebellion of 1798, the Potato Famine of the 1840s and the Easter Rising of 1916; the two World Wars and the Great Depression; British cultural and social change during the 1960s; and the history and future of the British Isles in the present day.Kenneth Campbell integrates the histories of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales by exploring common themes and drawing on comparative examples, while also demonstrating how those histories are different, making this a genuinely integrated text. Campbell's approach allows readers to appreciate the history of the British Isles not just for its own sake, but for the purposes of understanding our current political divisions, our world and ourselves. A wide-ranging comprehensive text, covering the history of the British Isles from prehistory to the present, aimed at broad undergraduate survey courses. Introduction: Approaches to the History of the British Isles1. Peoples and Places: The Beginnings of Regional Identities from Prehistoric Times to the Early Middle Ages2. Conquest, Colonization, and Culture: The High Middle Ages from ca. 1000 to 13483. Plague, Politics, and Power: The Later Middle Ages from the Black Death to the Beginnings of the Reformation4. Religion, Warfare, and Dynastic Politics: The Tudors and the Stewarts in the Sixteenth Century5. From Stewart to Stuart: The Monarchy and the Three Kingdoms, 1603 to 16426. Interregnum and Restoration: From Cromwell to the Battle of the Boyne7.The Revolution Settlement, the 1707 Act of Union, and the Jacobites: From the Treaty of Limerick to the Battle of Culloden8. Reform and Rebellion: Political Culture in the Britain and Ireland in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century9. War with France and Its Aftermath: 1801-183210. The Victorian Period: Politics, Society, and Culture in the Nineteenth Century11. Britain's Moment as a World Power: The British Empire in the Nineteenth Century12. In the Shadow of the Great War, ca. 1890-191813. Peace and War, 1919-194514. The Post-War Period, 1945 to 1960: Social Change and the End of Empire15. Change, Instability, and Adjustment: ca. 1960-197916. Demands, Disappointments, Hopes, and Promises: ca. 1979-2004Conclusion: History and the Future of the British Isles in the Twenty-First CenturyBibliographyIndex This is a bold book in its chronological range and synoptic vision. Kenneth Campbell has an outsider's penetrating eye in exploring, century on century, the complex ways in which Britain and Ireland have evolved. There could be no better time than the present to study this guide to their past. * Keith Robbins, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Wales-Lampeter, UK * Kenneth Campbell's A History of the British Isles: Prehistory to Present draws upon the latest scholarship to provide a lively narrative that embeds political developments in a rich cultural and social context. Its accessible prose and comprehensive scope will make it valuable as a text for both introductory and more advanced surveys of British history. * Gail Savage, Professor of History, St. Mary's College of Maryland, USA * In this compelling survey of the British Isles from prehistory to the present, Kenneth Campbell skillfully blends narrative and analysis in a satisfying synthesis. His scholarship is fresh and up to date, his conclusions are judicious and his writing is crystal clear. The book will serve as an invaluable introduction for undergraduates, a useful aid for teachers and an engaging text for general readers. * Brian Lewis, Professor of History, McGill University, Canada *