Great Tales from English History

Title Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Contents......Page 8
Tale of A Whale......Page 16
John Locke and Toleration......Page 23
‘Remember the Boyne!’ – the Birth of the Orangemen......Page 28
Britannia Rules the Waves – the Triangular Trade......Page 32
Jethro Tull’s ‘Drill’ and the Miner’s Friend......Page 37
Marlborough Catches the French Sleeping at the Village of the Blind......Page 40
Union Jack......Page 45
Made in Germany......Page 48
South Sea Bubble......Page 51
Britain’s First Prime Minister......Page 54
Born Again......Page 58
Dick Turpin – ‘Stand and Deliver!’......Page 61
God Save the King!......Page 65
Dr Johnson’s Dictionary......Page 70
General Wolfe and the Capture of Quebec......Page 74
James Hargreaves and the Spinning Jenny......Page 78
Captain Cook – Master of the Pilotage......Page 82
The Boston Tea Party......Page 86
Thomas Clarkson – the Giant with One Idea......Page 90
The Madness of King George III......Page 94
‘Breadfruit Bligh’ and the Mutiny on the Bounty......Page 98
Thomas Paine and the Rights of Man......Page 103
Mary Wollstonecraft and the Rights of Woman......Page 108
England Expects . . .......Page 113
Fanny Burney’s Breast......Page 118
Who Was Ned Ludd?......Page 122
Wellington and Waterloo......Page 127
Stone Treasures – Mary Anning and the Terror Lizards......Page 132
Blood on the Tracks......Page 135
The Lung Power of Orator Hunt......Page 139
The Tolpuddle Martyrs......Page 144
‘I Will Be Good’ – Victoria Becomes Queen......Page 148
‘God’s Wonderful Railway’ – Isambard Kingdom Brunel......Page 152
Rain, Steam & Speed – the Shimmering Vision of J.M.W. Turner......Page 157
Prince Albert’s Crystal Palace......Page 160
‘Women and Children First!’ – the Birkenhead Drill......Page 164
Into the Valley of Death......Page 168
The Lady of the Lamp and the Lady with the Teacup (Plus the Odd Sip of Brandy)......Page 174
Charles Darwin and the Survival of the Fittest......Page 182
The Great Stink – and the Tragedy of the Princess Alice......Page 187
Lord Rosebery’s Historical Howler......Page 192
Annie Besant and ‘Phossy Jaw’ – the Strike of the Match Girls......Page 194
Diamond Jubilee – the Empire Marches By......Page 198
Slaughter on Spion Kop......Page 202
Edward VII and the Entente Cordiale......Page 207
Cellar Murderer Caught by Wireless – Dr Crippen......Page 211
‘I May Be Some Time . . .’ – the Sacrifice of Captain Oates......Page 215
The King’s Horse and Emily Davison......Page 220
When Christmas Stopped a War......Page 225
Patriotism Is Not Enough – Edith Cavell......Page 229
Your Country Needs You! – the Sheffield Pals......Page 233
A Country Fit for Heroes?......Page 238
The Greatest History Book Ever......Page 243
Not Cricket – ‘Bodyline’ Bowling Wins the Ashes......Page 246
Edward the Abdicator......Page 251
Peace for Our Time! – Mr Chamberlain Takes a Plane......Page 255
Dunkirk – Britain’s Army Saved by the Little Boats......Page 260
Battle of Britain – the Few and the Many......Page 264
Code-making, Code-breaking – ‘The Life That I Have’......Page 269
Voice of the People......Page 273
Decoding the Secret of Life......Page 277
Bibliography and Source Notes......Page 282
Acknowledgements......Page 304
Index......Page 307