This is an illustrated history of Britain from prehistoric times to the present day. The book analyzes the major political and military events in British history, and where appropriate, looks at these within a wider, international context. It also describes everyday life for men and women from different levels of society in different ages: the kind of work they did, family life, etc. Emphasis is also placed on cultural, intellectual, scientific and economic developments. Major developments within Scotland, Ireland and Wales and the relations between these countries and England are also discussed.

This redesigned and updated edition of Britain in Close-up is an in-depth study of the public and private faces of contemporary Britain, and thoroughly examines the changes and challenges the nation faces as it enters the twenty-first century. Britain in Close-up: — comprehensively covers aspects of British society from government and politics to culture and style; — has extensive activity material at the end of each chapter, complemented with charts, maps and graphs; — incorporates Website lists for the latest access to related chapter information; — uses a rich array of authentic texts conveniently highlighted in extract boxes; — is illustrated throughout with attractive colour and black and white photographs; — includes a wide range of bibliographic sources for further reading.