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History - British — page 18
1,052 public-domain history - british books, summarised. Page 18 of 22.
Holinshed's Chronicles, vol. 3 of 6, slice 2 of 9: England, 1413-1423, Henry V
Raphael Holinshed
A monarch claims a foreign throne by legal right and marches across a rainy continent to enforce it.
The Cornhill Magazine (vol. XLII, no. 250 new series, April 1917)
Various
War casts its long shadow over the human heart, testing the quiet resilience of ordinary lives amidst the overwhelming chaos of a world in conflict.
Thoughts on the Necessity of Improving the Condition of the Slaves in the British Colonies: With a View to Their Ultimate Emancipation
Thomas Clarkson
The path toward freedom is not merely a moral imperative but a practical necessity, grounded in the undeniable truth that human dignity and economic prosperity are allies, not enemies.
A Constitution in Making (1660-1714)
Unknown
A nation unravels and rebuilds itself through decades of plague, fire, political intrigue, and revolutionary shifts in governance.
Blackwood's Edinburgh magazine, Vol. 75, No. 462, April 1854
Various
This volume captures a pivotal moment of mid-nineteenth-century anxiety, offering a vivid window into the political, cultural, and intellectual atmosphere of 1854 as Britain braced for the uncertainty of the Crimean War.
An Historical Summary of the Post Office in Scotland
T. B. (Thomas Bamford) Lang
The evolution of Scottish correspondence mirrors the nation’s own transformation, tracing a path from the precarious transport of royal decrees to the rapid, industrialized network of the nineteenth century.
Historical record of the Twenty-second, or the Cheshire Regiment of Foot: containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1689, and of its subsequent services to 1849
Richard Cannon
This chronicle traces the lineage and endurance of a storied British infantry unit, from its 1689 origins through the grueling mid-19th-century campaigns in India and beyond.
Prospectus of the Scots New Zealand Land Company
Patrick Matthew
A vision for a new society, this document outlines an ambitious, structured plan to relocate Scottish families to the fertile islands of New Zealand to escape economic hardship and social decay.
English Law and the Renaissance: The Rede Lecture for 1901
Frederic William Maitland
This inquiry explores why English common law, uniquely among the legal systems of Europe, resisted the pervasive "Reception" of Roman law during the Renaissance, preserving its own distinct identity.
Holinshed's Chronicles, vol. 2 of 6, slice 06 of 12: England, 1189-1199, Richard I
Raphael Holinshed
This chronicle captures the turbulent decade of Richard the Lionheart, a reign defined by crusading zeal, royal avarice, and the fragile stability of a kingdom under the shadow of its own absent monarch.
Newfoundland and the Jingoes: An Appeal to England's Honor
John Fretwell
A forgotten colony starves on Britain’s doorstep while imperial politicians debate treaty clauses and protect foreign trade concessions.
Home Rule: Second Edition
Harold Spender
An urgent political argument disguised as a historical study, this text makes a clear, measured case for granting self-government to Ireland through the Home Rule Bill of 1912.
Notes and Queries, Number 75, April 5, 1851: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc
Various
This periodical serves as a Victorian clearinghouse for the curious, where amateur scholars and antiquarians trade obscure facts to illuminate the shadows of history and language. It is a collaborative intellectual archive.
The People for Whom Shakespeare Wrote
Charles Dudley Warner
To understand the genius of Shakespeare, one must step into the muddy, vibrant streets of the sixteenth century and meet the people who first filled the wooden playhouses of London.
Gladstonian Ghosts
Cecil Chesterton
This collection of essays serves as a sharp-edged critique of Edwardian-era English political stagnation, arguing that the true interests of the working class are consistently betrayed by the vacuous, romantic illusions of the Liberal party.
The Thames
G. E. (Geraldine Edith) Mitton
The Thames is not a mere waterway but the living artery of English history, carrying the weight of empires and the grace of poets upon its winding currents. It is a chronicle of a landscape defined by its constant, quiet passage through the heart of a nation.
Chronicles of an Old Inn
Andrée Hope
The venerable chambers of Gray's Inn serve as a silent, stone-wrought witness to centuries of legal brilliance, royal pageantry, and the quiet, fleeting lives of those who walked its halls.
Report on the Migration of Birds in the Spring and Autumn of 1886. Eighth Report: (Vol. II, No. 3.)
J. A. (John Alexander) Harvie-Brown
This meticulous record captures the silent, hazardous transit of millions of birds across the British Isles, as witnessed from the isolated lanterns of lighthouses and lightships during the winter of 1886.
The Story of Elizabeth Canning Considered
John Hill
An eighteenth-century public controversy erupts when a young servant girl claims she was kidnapped and held captive for weeks; this polemic systematically dismantles her account to defend those accused of the crime.
Comic History of England
Bill Nye
This history reimagines the British royal narrative as a string of absurdities, proving that even the most formidable monarchs were often just people struggling with the burdens of their own eccentricities. It treats the solemn march of centuries as a series of fortunate and unfortunate blunders.
Paddy at Home ("Chez Paddy")
Mandat-Grancey, E. (Edmond), baron de
An astute French observer travels through late nineteenth-century Ireland to dissect the agrarian unrest and the complex, often volatile, relationship between landlords and their tenants.
The Stranger in Shrewsbury
Thomas J. Howell
This guide to the Shropshire market town of Shrewsbury blends historical chronicle with the observational detail of a nineteenth-century gazetteer. It serves as a comprehensive portrait of a locale defined by its strategic position, loyalist sentiment, and scenic riverbanks.
History of the Cape Mounted Riflemen: With a Brief Account of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope
Richard Cannon
This record chronicles the origins and arduous frontier service of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, a regiment defined by its critical role in the expansion and defense of the British colony at the Cape of Good Hope. It provides a formal, sanctioned account of a specialized force navigating a rugged, contested landscape.
The Office of Bailiff of a Liberty
Joseph Ritson
The intricate world of English legal history relies on the obscure, yet essential, mechanics of local authority. This manual illuminates the specific, often contentious, role of the bailiff of a liberty.
Tommy Atkins at War: As Told in His Own Letters
James Alexander Kilpatrick
Ordinary men thrust into extraordinary violence preserve their sanity through humor, intense loyalty to their comrades, and an unshakable commitment to everyday routines.
Holinshed's Chronicles, vol. 3 of 6, slice 5 of 9: England, 1483, Edward V
Raphael Holinshed
The rise and fall of a young king, the machinations of a power-hungry uncle, and the tragic fate of a royal family unfold in this gripping historical narrative.
Ninth annual report of the St. Mary Abbott's, Kensington, Church of England District Visiting Society: with some account of the different societies subordinate or affiliated to it
Anonymous
A detailed annual report exposes the hidden social and financial struggles of mid-nineteenth-century Kensington, tracking a dedicated parish community's efforts to uplift its urban poor through organized charity, education, and moral guidance.
Britain at Bay
Spenser Wilkinson
This is a stark, urgent call for the complete reorganization of the British state to meet the existential threat posed by a rising Germany. It argues that a nation that prioritizes party politics over national readiness is already halfway to defeat.
Holinshed's Chronicles, vol. 2 of 6, slice 04 of 12: England, 1135-1154, Stephen
Raphael Holinshed
A violent storm portends a fractured realm as King Stephen seizes the English crown, plunging the land into civil war against the Empress Maud.
Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 727, December 1, 1877
Various
This edition of a Victorian periodical offers a panoramic window into the Victorian mind, documenting everything from the plight of London street-traders to the discovery of prehistoric ruins in Greece. It serves as an artifact of an era obsessed with both its own rapid industrial evolution and the distant, tragic…
Imperialism in South Africa
J. Ewing (James Ewing) Ritchie
The British Empire’s expansion into South Africa during the late nineteenth century serves as a stark case study in the perils of unchecked imperial ambition and the human cost of colonial mismanagement.
The Way to Win
William Le Queux
Britain stands at a crossroads in the Great War, facing a conflict that demands total national mobilization to secure the future of civilization against imperial aggression.
Some of Our East Coast Towns
J. Ewing (James Ewing) Ritchie
Journey through the quiet, changing boroughs of East Anglia, where ancient history, ecclesiastical memories, and modern industry quietly meet along the coast.
The Present State of the British Interest in India: With a Plan for Establishing a Regular System of Government in That Country
Anonymous
As the East India Company rules Bengal without true governing skill or protection for its subjects, a systemic political and military overhaul is urgently required to save both Britain and India from ruin.
The history of the 1st Batt. Wilts Volunteers, from 1861 to 1885
R. D. (Robert Dwarris) Gibney
Born from the urgent, widespread fear of French invasion in 1859, this record tracks the precarious survival of a volunteer infantry battalion. It is a testament to the grit required to build an army from scratch.
About Ireland
E. Lynn (Elizabeth Lynn) Linton
A shift in political perspective, born from direct observation of late 19th-century Ireland, challenges the sentimental arguments often used to support the Home Rule movement.
Crécy
Hilaire Belloc
A masterly piece of historical detective work, this study reconstructs the 1346 clash of Crécy by examining terrain, logistics, and the forgotten "unconscious" evidence of ancient kitchen accounts.
Historical Record of the Fifty-Third, or the Shropshire Regiment of Foot: Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1755 and of its subsequent services to 1848
Richard Cannon
This chronicle traces the ninety-three-year evolution of a British infantry unit, documenting its formation, global deployments, and the disciplined service that earned its reputation for tenacity across three continents.
Nature's carol singers
Richard Kearton
The British landscape rings with a hidden choir, and these pages offer a guide to the familiar voices that fill our meadows, woods, and eaves with song.
A Historical Survey of the Customs, Habits, & Present State of the Gypsies
John Hoyland
A centuries-old global wanderer faces the tightening grip of modern law and social disdain, surviving on ancient crafts while holding the secret of its origins locked within an unwritten language.
Four Lectures on the English Revolution
Thomas Hill Green
The English Revolution stands as a closed historical cycle, a dramatic epoch where religious fervor and political ambition collided to reshape a nation’s soul. These lectures examine how a movement for spiritual freedom transformed into a struggle for the very character of the state.
A Walk through Leicester: being a Guide to Strangers
Susannah Watts
Guided by an observant local narrator, this guidebook invites the reader to explore the streets, commerce, and hidden antiquities of early nineteenth-century Leicester. It serves as a gentle companion for both the curious stranger and the resident.
Lessons of the War: Being Comments from Week to Week to the Relief of Ladysmith
Spenser Wilkinson
The South African War of 1899–1902 serves as a grim laboratory for the author, who observes the British military’s struggle against the Boers with a cold, analytical eye. He argues that the conflict exposes not just tactical errors, but a fundamental rot in the nation’s governance and its amateurish approach to…
The Trial of Captain John Kimber, for the Murder of Two Female Negro Slaves, on Board the Recovery, African Slave Ship: Tried at the Admiralty Sessions, Held at the Old Baily, the 7th of June, 1792
Student of the Temple
This account captures a pivotal legal confrontation in 1792, where the cruel realities of the Atlantic slave trade collided with the formal machinery of British justice. It serves as both a courtroom transcript and a searing piece of contemporary political commentary.
Edinburgh Papers. Edinburgh Merchants and Merchandise in Old Times
Robert Chambers
This historical portrait traces the rise of the Edinburgh merchant class from humble beginnings to significant national influence. It documents how trade shaped the city’s social fabric and its most enduring family legacies.
Notes and Queries, Number 25, April 20, 1850
Various
A curious gathering of mid-nineteenth-century literary detectives, this publication invites readers to trade long-forgotten facts and solve the persistent mysteries of history and language. It serves as a bustling, printed clearinghouse for the intellectually inquisitive.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 153, October 17, 1917
Various
In the grim autumn of 1917, a nation finds refuge in the absurdity of the everyday, transforming the anxieties of global conflict into a shared, defiant chuckle.
A Fortnight at the Front
Henry Russell (Bishop of Birmingham) Wakefield
A bishop’s journey to the Western Front reveals the quiet resolve of soldiers in the trenches, offering a spiritual antidote to the anxieties of a nation watching the Great War from afar.