The History of Britain Magazine
Welcome to the History of Britain! The home nations share a varied and shared history unlike anywhere else, so we thought it only right to create a section dedicated to our mutual heritage.
Decimalisation in Britain
Whilst there are many Britons who would struggle to recall a ten shilling note and its value today (for the record, it is 50p in today’s money!), in comparison to the rest of the world, Britain lagged behind in the decimalisation stakes.
Causes of the Crimean War
Many British towns and cities have streets named after battles fought during the Crimean War, such as Alma, Sebastapol, Balaclava and Inkerman. But who fought this war, and why?
Battle of Corunna and the fate of Sir John Moore
Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note, As his corse to the rampart we hurried; Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot O’er…
The Great Depression
On Tuesday 29th October 1929 the Wall Street Crash caused a cataclysmic chain of events which affected nearly every country across the globe. The Great…
Lewes Snow Drop 1836
The deadliest avalanche in British history took place, not in the mountains of Scotland or Wales as you may expect, but in 1836 in the town of Lewes, Sussex, just a few miles from the south coast of England…
A Victorian Christmas
Christmas trees, carol singers, Christmas cards, Father Christmas and crackers – integral parts of a traditional Christmas, but why? The Victorians…
The Dickin Medal
The Dickin Medal has been called the Animal VC and is awarded by the charity PDSA in recognition of extreme bravery by animals.
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill: iconic wartime leader, twice Prime Minister, author, amateur artist and enthusiastic bricklayer…
Gertrude Fenn – Nurses in the Frontline
During World War One, along with a small group of similarly strong-minded British nurses, Gertrude Fenn became one of the first British women to care for Indian soldiers, not on the Western Front but in the searing desert heat of Mesopotamia…
Vera Brittain and the Shell-Shocked Women of World War One
80,000 cases of shell shock – a forebear of modern Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – were reported by the British Army between 1914 and 1918. As we approach the 100th anniversary of the Armistice, Jobe Close discusses the largely overlooked female experience of shell shock…