The British Imagination : A History of Ideas from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II

Author: Watson, Peter

British & Irish history

Published on 9 April 2026 by Simon & Schuster Ltd in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 544 pages, none
197 x 131 x 35 | 386g

‘Extensive and intelligent . . . a guide to the nature of British intellectual curiosity’ SpectatorThe reign of Queen Elizabeth I ushered in an unprecedented age of exploration and discovery. Over 500 years that saw  ‘the greatest expansion of ideas and knowledge the world has ever seen’, a small island nation, for centuries a cultural backwater, asserted itself as a world power. Breathtaking in scope, embracing literature, science, art, religion, philosophy and politics, The British Imagination brings to life those centuries between Elizabeth I and II, and asks the provocative question – are we still living in a British 'metaphysical empire'?From the acclaimed author of The German Genius and The French Mind, this is a lively and deeply researched history of the most influential personalities and ideas that made modern Britain. ‘Intriguing insights about the contemporary Anglosphere . . . nuanced and appreciative’ Financial Times‘Peter Watson has form when it comes to probing a nation’s psyche . . . Ambitious and stimulating’ Country Life