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The British Imagination
A History of Ideas from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II
Brief Description
‘Extensive and intelligent . . . a guide to the nature of British intellectual curiosity’ Spectator The reign of Queen Elizabeth I ushered in an unprecedented age of exploration and discovery. Over 500 years that saw ‘the greatest expansion of ideas and knowledge the world has...
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Format: Paperback / softback
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See moreThe third in Peter Watson's spiritual trilogy, including THE GERMAN GENIUS and THE FRENCH MIND: a masterful and epic intellectual history of Britain
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Description
‘Extensive and intelligent . . . a guide to the nature of British intellectual curiosity’ Spectator
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I ushered in an unprecedented age of exploration and discovery. Over 500 years that saw ‘the greatest expansion of ideas and knowledge the world has ever seen’, a small island nation, for centuries a cultural backwater, asserted itself as a world power.
Breathtaking in scope, embracing literature, science, art, religion, philosophy and politics, The British Imagination brings to life those centuries between Elizabeth I and II, and asks the provocative question – are we still living in a British 'metaphysical empire'?
From the acclaimed author of The German Genius and The French Mind, this is a lively and deeply researched history of the most influential personalities and ideas that made modern Britain.
‘Intriguing insights about the contemporary Anglosphere . . . nuanced and appreciative’ Financial Times
‘Peter Watson has form when it comes to probing a nation’s psyche . . . Ambitious and stimulating’ Country Life
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781398513914
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 09 April 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Simon & Schuster Ltd
Illustration: none
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 32.0mm
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 544
About the Author
Peter Watson is a journalist, television presenter and historian of ideas. He was a senior editor of the Sunday Times, New York correspondent of The Times and a columnist for the Observer. He has written for multiple publications, including the New York Times and Spectator. His books, which have been translated into more than 25 languages, include Ideas: A History from Fire to Freud, The German Genius, The French Mind and Convergence: The Idea at the Heart of Science.
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