The heroes and villains, triumphs and disasters of English history are instantly familiar--from the Norman Conquest to Henry VIII, Queen Victoria to the two world wars. But to understand their full significance we need to know the whole story. A Short History of England sheds new light on all the key individuals and events in English history by bringing them together in an enlightening account of the country's birth, rise to global prominence, and then partial eclipse. It is the definitive narrative of how today's England came to be. With 16 Pages of Glorious, Full-Color Illustrations