In The Four Nations - England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland - Frank Welsh comprehensively describes the history of each constituent part of the British Isles, their interaction, and the effect of internal and external events from pre-Roman times to the present day. Along the way many commonly accepted views of history, and many cherished myths, are re-examined, and a number of awkward questions posed.
How can a British identity be defined ? To what extent were Scotland, Wales and Ireland really the victims of predatory English aggression ? Why is it necessary for the Queen to change her religion each time she passes Berwick-upon-Tweed ? What will be the effect of the new assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ? And how serious is the increasingly frequently evoked spectre of fragmentation ? Full of unexpected anomalies and provocative insights, The Four Nations is an invaluable single-volume history of the component parts of the United Kingdom.
In The Four Nations - England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland - Frank Welsh comprehensively describes the history of each constituent part of the British Isles, their interaction, and the effect of internal and external events from pre-Roman times to the present day. Along the way many commonly accepted views of history, and many cherished myths, are re-examined, and a number of awkward questions posed.
How can a British identity be defined ? To what extent were Scotland, Wales and Ireland really the victims of predatory English aggression ? Why is it necessary for the Queen to change her religion each time she passes Berwick-upon-Tweed ? What will be the effect of the new assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ? And how serious is the increasingly frequently evoked spectre of fragmentation ? Full of unexpected anomalies and provocative insights, The Four Nations is an invaluable single-volume history of the component parts of the United Kingdom.
