Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Essential Histories
Historian Simon Schama's BBC series
A
History of Britain
(available on DVD)
begins around 3100
B
.
C
., finishing in
1965. There are three BBC books from
the series, all called
A History of Britain,
subtitled
At the Edge of the World?:
3000
B
.
C
.-
A
.
D
.
1603
;
The British Wars:
1603
-
1776
; and
The Fate of Empire:
1776
-
2001
. Journalist and television
broadcaster Andrew Marr has produced
a DVD called
A History of Modern Brit-
ain
as well as the topic
The Making of
Modern Britain,
while broadcaster
David Dimbleby has written a book to
accompany his BBC documentary series
Seven Ages of Britain.
Also excellent is
Terry Deary's series of
Horrible Histo-
ries
children's topics, with all the facts
plus some delightful gore.
2
Anglo-Saxon period of peace was ruptured by the Viking King Sweyn and his son
Cnut, who were given gold—Danegeld in fact—to leave the Anglo-Saxons alone.
By 1013 Sweyn had thrown out King Ethelred (the Unready), and even when
Ethelred returned from Normandy King Sweyn remained in charge. Several Viking (or
Danish) kings followed, hence the influx of Viking words into what became the English
language. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are all named after Viking gods, and
the Viking word for village, “by,” led to names such as
Grimsby
and
Whitby
(p. 648).
The Saxons maintained control of some southern regions, which is why the Saxon
king Edward the Confessor assumed the throne in 1042. Childless, he promised the
crown to William, Duke of Normandy. Later his adviser, Harold Godwinson, swore to
support William's claim to the throne. When Edward died in 1066 and Harold suc-
ceeded him, he surely knew trouble lay ahead. William invaded
Pevensey,
in Sussex,
while Harold was fighting a Viking invasion in the northeast. He had to march south
to meet the Normans at
Battle,
near
Hastings,
in Sussex. Harold lost and died—the
end of an era.
1558
The accession of Elizabeth I
ushers in an era of exploration
and a renaissance in science
and learning.
1642-49
Civil war between Royalists
and Parliamentarians; the
Parliamentarians win.
1649
Charles I beheaded, and England
is a republic.
1588
Spanish Armada defeated.
1603
James VI of Scotland becomes
James I of England, thus uniting
the crowns of England and
Scotland.
1653
Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord
Protector.
1660
Charles II restored to the throne
with limited power.
1620
Pilgrims sail from Plymouth on the
Mayfl ower
to found a colony in
the New World.
1665-66
Great Plague and Great Fire
decimate London.
1688
James II, a Catholic, is deposed,
and William and Mary come to the
throne, signing a bill of rights.
1629
Charles I dissolves Parliament,
ruling alone.
