10 Best Books on the History of Britain

The cover of Scottish Queens, 1034–1714: The Queens and Consorts Who Shaped a Nation by Rosalind K. Marshall

10 Best Books on the History of Britain

Whether you are interested in learning more about the British Royal family or its political history, several books have explored all of these.

There is absolutely no other way to find these truths and facts than in well-researched books. As you will find out, there are fantastic history books written that give you a fresh perspective of the past.

In this blog today, we will be looking at some of the best-seller books that delve into the past in the quest to quench your historical curiosity.

These books cover different topics and can be read by people of different age groups. are suited for a variety of different age groups, so the right one for you might vary.

1. The Tudors in Love: The Courtly Code Behind the Last Medieval Dynasty by Sarah Gristwood

The cover of The Tudors in Love: The Courtly Code Behind the Last Medieval Dynasty by Sarah Gristwood

Reading Sarah Gristwood’s the Tudors in Love: The Courtly Code Behind the Last Medieval Dynasty gives you the feeling of being given the cypher to decode the letters between Mary, Queen of Scots and her Catholic conspirators.

This book gives satisfying answers to such mysteries as to why Henry VIII took six wives and why the male favourites of Elizabeth I worshipped her as a goddess, even in her old age.

Gristwood uses the prose that comes off as seductive as the subject matter. Of all books written about the Tudors, this one is one of the most important books.

The author dissects the codes of love, desire and power, unveiling romantic obsessions that have shaped the history of Britain.

2. The Dissolution of the Monasteries: A New History by James Clark

This book by James Clark is a remarkably detailed study that yields a rich harvest.

Clark unearths a wealth of overlooked details to challenge centuries of controversy and misconception.

Additionally, he provides a welcome new perspective on Henry VIII, his “henchman” Thomas Cromwell and other powerful members of the court. He further talks about the people whose lives were forever blighted by the destruction they wrought.

In this book, Clark paints a picture of 1540 when there was an imminent end of a millennium of monastic life in England.

James Clark explores the little-known lives of the last men and women who lived in England’s monasteries before the Reformation.  This rich, vivid history brings back into focus the prominent place of abbeys, priories, and friaries in the lives of the English people.

3. The First World War by Michael Howard

When the First World War ended in 1918, almost eight million people died in what was perhaps the most apocalyptic episode the world had known.

Michael Howard, therefore, introduces a succinct and insightful history of the Great War from the state of Europe in 1914, to the role of the US, and the collapse of Russia. He also writes about the eventual surrender of the Central Powers.

Howard also looks at how peace was ultimately made and recounts the potent legacy of resentment left to Germany.

Grab this book for a deeper understanding of the state of Europe in 1914 and the outbreak of World War I.

4. The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor–the Truth and the Turmoil Hardcover by Tina Brown

The Cover of The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor–the Truth and the Turmoil Hardcover by Tina Brown

The author of this next book has been described as a skilful and wily royal chronicler who has marshalled a heavy arsenal of details into a wickedly edible narrative.

This book was written after the death of Princess Diana and the Queen of England and was quoted as saying “Never again”. It was about popular members of the royal family posing an existential threat to the British monarchy.

Reading this book, you will be turning pages to revelations of how the royal family reinvented itself after the harrowing years when Diana’s blazing celebrity ripped through the House of Windsor like a comet.

Brown takes you on a tour of the journey through the scandals, love affairs, power plays, and betrayals that have buffeted the monarchy over the last twenty-five years.

Stylishly, wittingly and eruditely written, The Palace Papers irrevocably change how the world perceives and under­stands the royal family.

5. The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Eric Larson

The Cover of The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Eric Larson

This next book was named one of the most anticipated books of 2020 by several leading newspapers in the United States.

Eric Larson writes about Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister; it was the same day Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. For the next 12 months, Hitler waged a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons.

Sir Winston Churchill did what he could to hold his country together. He sought help from President Franklin Roosevelt citing that Britain was a worthy ally and willing to fight to the end.

6. Butler to the World: The Book the Oligarchs Don’t Want You to Read – How Britain Helps the World’s Worst People Launder Money, Commit Crimes, and Get Away with Anything by Oliver Bullough

This book is a forceful follow-up to Money land in which the author, Oliver Bullough, untangles the dark secret of how Britain placed itself at the centre of the global offshore economy as well as the service of the worst people in the world.

He eloquently narrates the Suez Crisis of 1956 which was considered Britain’s rock bottom of the 20^th century. It was when Britain, a superpower at one time, was bullied into retreat.

In this book, he demonstrates how so many elements of modern Britain have been put at the service of the world’s oligarchs.

Bullough lays bare how London has deliberately undercut U.S. regulations for decades and calls into question the extent to which Britain can be considered a reliable ally.

7. The English and Their History by Robert Tombs

The cover of The English and Their History by Robert Tombs

This may be one of the biggest books in terms of pages you will read. There are over a thousand pages describing the history of England. 

Robert Tombs takes you on an epic expedition through the ages to uncover what being English means.

He traces the history of England as a kingdom, an international power, a nationality and a cultural force. Further, he looks at the rulers, institutions, alliances and conquests.

To start, Tombs writes about the Roman invasion of Britain, recounts the early history of multiple petty kingdoms on the archipelago, and describes the complex aftermath of the 11th-century Norman Conquest.

Critics have described this book as one with resounding importance to contemporary debates.

8. Churchill: Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts

In this momentous biography of Winston Churchill based on extensive new material, you will get introduced to the iconic, visionary war leader immune from the accord of the day, who stood firmly for his beliefs when everyone doubted him.

Read on how Churchill mastered the strength to take on the superior force of Nazi Germany when bombs rained on London.

The author further gives you the full and definitive Winston Churchill, from birth to a lasting legacy. Roberts got rich material from transcripts of War Cabinet meetings, diaries, letters, and unpublished memoirs from Churchill’s contemporaries.

9. Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine by Olivia Campbell

If you have read Hidden Figures and Radium Girls, this next number will keep you flipping the pages. This book narrates the story of three Victorian women who broke down barriers in the medical field to become the first women doctors; it was a revolution in the way women receive health care.

During the early 1800s, women died in large numbers from treatable diseases because they avoided receiving medical care. Examinations were performed by male doctors and were often demeaning and even painful.

Motivated by personal loss and frustration over inadequate medical care, Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Sophia Jex-Blake fought for a woman’s place in the male-dominated medical field.

For the first time, Women in White Coats tells the complete history of these three pioneering women who, despite countless obstacles, earned medical degrees and paved the way for other women to do the same.

10. Scottish Queens, 1034–1714: The Queens and Consorts Who Shaped a Nation by Rosalind K. Marshall

The cover of Scottish Queens, 1034–1714: The Queens and Consorts Who Shaped a Nation by Rosalind K. Marshall

There have been several books narrating the lives of kings. This book exclusively looks at the neglected in conventional history of queens that ruled in their own right.

First in the book is Lady Macbeth.  Read the book to find out if she was evil as depicted in Shakespeare’s famous play. Another famous Queen was St Margaret a demure regarded to be an obedient wife.

This book is considered to be a broad, impressive historical work with a solid introduction to Scottish history from the perspective of the queens who exercised power whenever and wherever they could find it.