This Sceptred Isle (BBC) [Paperback]

Christopher Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2000 | Series: BBC

Written to accompany the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, this readable history looks back on the extraordinary events in Britain of the 20th century. The turbulent 20th century, the "fastest moving century of all", has seen a whirlwind of change in medicine, travel, communications and social equality, which has transformed the lives of ordinary people. We have witnessed two world wars, women's emancipation, the end of colonial rule, the indelible impact of the Thatcher years and the recent explosion of technology and the mass media. "This Sceptred Isle: Twentieth Century" is interesting reading for anyone wanting to find out more about the Britain of the last few generations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Christopher Lee’s seminal history series, which accompanied the award–winning BBC radio series, narrates the rich and gripping story of Britain, from the Roman Invasion in 55 BC to the dawn of the 21st century. Focusing on the key characters and pivotal events that have shaped British history, these books are essential reading for anyone with an interest in Britain’s past, present, or future. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books (September 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140276017
• ISBN-13: 978-0140276015
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,412,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars What a marvelous experience!, September 21, 2009

By 

Christopher Richards (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: This Sceptred Isle: Twentieth Century: From the Death of Queen Victoria to the Dawn of a New Millennium (Hardcover)

I missed the audio broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Christopher Lee makes twentieth-century British history easily accessible. The book is organized by year, so the reader doesn't have to start at the beginning. However, I read it from cover-to-cover in just a few days.

In the introduction Lee talks about his own fascination with the stories his grandfather and grand-uncles told him. As I read this book, I pictured my own grandfather as a boy in Victoria's army in India. He lived with us when I was a boy and was full of stories. I imagined the tribulations of my father in the great depression. But to see the geopolitical forces that shaped the British experience is nothing short of amazing.

This book sharpens previously fuzzy perspectives. This is not the only Christopher Lee book I shall read.