A Brief History of the United Kingdom

Author: Spiro Kostof
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: "The Cambridge Concise Histories" is a series of illustrated concise histories of nations launched by Cambridge University Press since the 1990s. The authors of the series are professors of history or renowned experts from the UK, the US, Australia, and other countries. They introduce the political, economic, cultural, and social historical changes of the described countries to readers in an accessible language. The books are authoritative, easy to understand, and highly readable. The series has been a great success since its publication, with some titles reprinted more than ten times. Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press has selected concise history books on ten countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, and South Africa, from the series to offer to a broad readership in China, especially English majors and postgraduates, as well as readers with a certain foundation in English and an interest in world history. "A Concise History of England" is one of the books in the series. It briefly introduces the historical process of the UK since the establishment of the sovereign nation in 1707 with the union of England and Scotland to the 1975 referendum on joining the European Community in nearly three centuries. The book primarily explores the relationship between the government and society, particularly the relationship between Parliament and the electorate. Democracy in the UK arrived late, and it was long attributed to the conservative nature of British society, or at least English society, across all strata. Compared to radical movements, conservative forces in the UK were stronger and more enduring. The election results of 1992 also confirmed this point.