An inventive new look at the shared histories of Britain’s nations

The future of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and adjacent islands is in flux again – as it has been repeatedly for millennia.

This book tells the story of the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans and others who have occupied these isles, along with their culture, languages and passions. It charts the kaleidoscope of overlapping and conflicting identities, along with the changing role of women and the stories of emigrants and immigrants.

England conquered Wales in the Middle Ages and formed unions with Scotland in 1707 and Ireland in 1801. Britain was fashioned by the opportunities of the largest empire the world has seen, coupled with a desire to defend Protestantism against a largely Catholic Europe. It was always a fragile union, however. Ireland broke away in 1922 after a war of independence. And as the Empire crumbled, nationalism grew in Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland, which remained part of the UK, was wracked by a 30-year civil war. Even the name of the islands is contested: is it the ‘British Isles’ or ‘Britain and Ireland’ or even the ‘Atlantic Archipelago’? The future of the nations is in question again, with vital consequences for all their inhabitants and for the world.

This examination of the past, present and future relationship between England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland – along with the Isle of Man, Channel Islands and other isles – covers over 200 million years of history, with a particular focus on the colourful and pivotal parts. Themes include the part played by religion and the British Empire, international diasporas and internal migration. With forays into popular culture, sport, music, language, literature, art and everything in between, Groom examines the state of the nations, the feelings of their inhabitants and the prospects for further changes in the relationship between them.