Jeremy Black, one of the most prolific and punchy of historians of modern Britain, has written a new account of a period on which he has previously published. A Brief History of Britain 1851-2021: From World Power to ? (Robinson, 2021) traces an arc of decline and opportunity, from the confidence that was reflected in the Crystal Palace’s Great Exhibition of 1851 to the uncertainty about national purpose or international significance that was reflected in the construction of the Millennium Dome. Balancing hard and soft power with the homogenisation and diversification of lived experience, while thinking about politics, culture, demographics, and the impact of conflict, Black asks some far-reaching questions about the kind of country that Britain has become.

Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast.

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