A History of Ideas from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II

Book details
ISBN: 9781398513884
Published: May 2025
Buy now (UK)
Before the 16th century Britain was a small, out-of-the-way backwater, lagging far behind other global powers in terms of power and innovation. This all changed when Queen Elizabeth I was crowned. During her reign, creative and intellectual life flourished as never before, and Britain became one of the leading nations of ‘the West’. It has remained a major power ever since.
What happened in the last five hundred years to bring about this change, and to maintain it? And what can it tell us about the unique nature of British identity and exceptionalism today?
The British Imagination is a masterful journey through 500 years of history, from Shakespeare to Woolf, the Royal Society to the industrial revolution, and from the first New World colonies to the empire that by the 1920s had colonised a quarter of the world. The key tenets of British history, Peter Watson argues, are religion, empirical science, commerce and empire.
Breathtaking in scope, covering everything from astronomy to geology, philosophy to literature, The British Imagination is a spellbinding tour of the most influential ideas – and the extraordinary people – who made Britain what it is today.
Reviews of The British Imagination
"Brilliant"
Rod Liddle, Times Radio
"The 'imagination' of Watson's title is not merely the creative artistic imagination, but also that of scientists and inventors ... he is right to conclude that the historic significance of Britain in these fields is immense ... nuanced ... intelligent."
Simon Heffer, The Spectator
"This is a book with much to offer – Watson highlights the role of scientific innovation in shaping British identity, gives intriguing insights about the contemporary Anglosphere and delivers a nuanced and appreciative account of the post-imperial and migrant contribution to modern English writing."
Rowan Williams ― Financial Times
"This book is a grand endeavour in every sense . . . Watson offers a kaleidoscopic, often provocative insight into British intellectual and social development over the centuries."
Alexander Larman ― Observer