{"title":"Stuart Laycock","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into history with Stuart Laycock, the author who makes the past accessible and engaging. Perfect for readers seeking a blend of historical insight and captivating storytelling. Explore his works today!\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"all-the-countries-we-ve-ever-invaded-book-stuart-laycock-9780752479699","title":"All the Countries We've Ever Invaded","description":"Out of 193 countries that are currently UN member states, weve invaded or fought conflicts in the territory of 171. 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That's not far off a massive, jaw-dropping 90 per cent. Not too many Britons know that we invaded Iran in the Second World War with the Soviets. You can be fairly sure a lot more Iranians do.Or what about the time we arrived with elephants to invade Ethiopia?Every summer, hordes of British tourists now occupy Corfu and the other Ionian islands. Find out how we first invaded them armed with cannon instead of camera and set up the United States of the Ionian Islands. Think the Philippines have always been outside our zone of influence? Think again. Read the surprising story of our eighteenth-century occupation of Manila and how we demanded a ransom of millions of dollars for the city. This book takes a look at some of the truly awe-inspiring ways our country has been a force, for good and for bad, right across the world. A lot of people are vaguely aware that a quarter of the globe was once pink, but that's not even half the story. 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We set off to find out.The result is Unexpected Britain, tracing the story of Britain from a time before Rome to a time within the lives of people still living, but going beyond the well-known to explore a world of different angles and fascinating little-known facts that bring fresh life to the story of what Britain has been and what Britain is.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49523099468049,"sku":"GOR006937717","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53345247789329,"sku":"GOR007660993","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/144563273X.jpg?v=1764064884"},{"product_id":"little-book-of-england-book-stuart-laycock-9781803991979","title":"The Little Book of England","description":"Did you know?  • The first African community to arrive in England was stationed at Aballava on Hadrian's Wall to keep out the Picts.  • Admiral Robert FitzRoy, creator of the Met Office, was so upset by criticism of his weather forecasts that he shot himself.  • While studying at Cambridge, Charles Darwin formed the 'Glutton Club' for the purpose of eating unusual animals.  • Ada Lovelace wrote a computer code in the nineteenth century, before a working computer had even been invented.  • Maids of Honour at Henry VIII’s court were given eight pints of ale per day and his army mutinied in Spain when the ale ran out.  A little book about a BIG subject. England's not huge in land mass, but there is a lot to say about this little country. Yes, we'll be touching on the obvious bits – Shakespeare, 1966, disappointing weather, etc., but we'll also be going in search of what's under the surface of English history, society and culture.  What is it that makes England England? People all over the world think they know the answer to that: the King or Queen, awkward politeness, Beefeaters and losing in penalties in international football. But we English know that we're a bit more complicated than such stereotypes. Or are we? 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Professor Mark Horton  England today is a rich, complex mix of identities, cultures, and heritages. However, in the decades after Roman Britain collapsed in the fifth century, the cultures of the Angles and of the Saxons, with significant degrees of homogeneity, spread rapidly westwards across much of eastern, southern and central England.  Then it stopped. Or was stopped. For the area then still beyond Anglo-Saxon reach is characterized by a network of military and economic links across the island. Perhaps significantly, this includes parts of Britain traditionally associated with King Arthur. Later, the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural kingdom of Mercia, in alliance with British kingdoms in Wales, spread from the Midlands across England under the mysterious King Penda, dominating the earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms with its wealth and military power. The region that gave birth to Mercia is also a region that was a most likely base for the elusive figure of King Arthur.  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