This beautifully illustrated volume tells the story of Britain and its peoples over two thousand years, from the coming of the Roman legions to the present day. Encompassing political, social, economic, and cultural developments throughout the British Isles, the dramatic narrative is taken up by ten leading historians who offer the fruits of the best modern scholarship to the general reader in authoritative form, illuminating their text with carefully chosen pictures and maps. A vivid, sometimes surprising picture emerges of continuous turmoil and change in every period of Britain's history. By exploring the many ways in which Britain has shaped and been shaped by contact with Europe and the Wider world, this comprehensive book brings the modern reader face to face with the past and thus the foundations of modern British society.