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A History of Britain in 21 Paintings

An Illuminating Journey through British history, from the Sunday Times bestselling author

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A History of Britain in 21 Paintings

By: Alice Loxton
Narrated by: Alice Loxton
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AN ILLUMINATING HISTORY OF BRITAIN FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR ALICE LOXTON

The past is like a dark forest. Most of the details of our ancestors’ lives are forgotten, lost in the mists of time. Yet there are many sources – fireflies – that survive to illuminate our understanding of the past. In this case, those fireflies are paintings.

In this vibrant and insightful book, Alice Loxton travels across Britain in search of twenty-one extraordinary paintings. From the wall art of St Cadoc’s Church near Cardiff and the exquisite detail of daily life portrayed by L.S. Lowry to landmark works including ‘The Rainbow Portrait’ of Elizabeth I and Millais’ ‘Ophelia’, Loxton creates a fresh, transformative history of Britain.

Considering each piece from the viewer’s perspective, she explores how it feels standing before them, what they are trying to tell and what their real-life inspiration reveals about the period when they were created. Along the way, Loxton explores the lives of everyday people, unveils the historical, social and cultural shifts these paintings reflected and inspired, and challenges some of Britain’s most famous myths (who really was St George? Did the people of the Middle Ages think the world was flat? Why do Scots wear tartan? Why do us Brits love going to the pub?).

This sweeping book reminds us that there are incredible stories to be discovered all across Britain, if only we take the time to look.

© Alice Loxton 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 Art Europe Great Britain
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Critic reviews

An entertaining, illuminating tour of British history filled with delightful stories, witty anecdotes and an abundance of remarkable paintings (Terry Deary)
A champion of British heritage in full voice… Join the most enthusiastic of tour guides, Alice Loxton, as she highlights the profound visual histories to be found in every corner of the land. (Luke Sherlock)
Alice Loxton has a brilliant talent for digging out history's most extraordinary stories and bringing them to life. This is a fascinating journey through Britain’s past, told in her characteristically engaging and witty style. Coming to the end, you are left wanting 21 more! (Jack Chesher)
Alongside landscapes by artists such as Monet, Lowry and Turner, Alice Loxton uses ancient manuscripts, medieval maps, church wall paintings and even pub signs as windows onto our island’s past. Along the way, she brings to life not only the people who created these works but also the conservators and custodians who have cared for them. Warm, curious and full of wit, this is a history of great scope, brought vividly to life and delivered with considerable panache. It’s a book that will make you look at Britain and the artworks that tell its story in a completely new way. (Andrew Ziminski)
Alice Loxton is a boots on the ground, nose on the glass case sort of historian - she takes you immediately and vividly to some of the most interesting sights in Britain (Philippa Gregory)
A pleasurable and quirky voyage through the hidden corners of British history (Simon Jenkins)
A glittering jewel-box of a book. From exquisite Dark Ages gospels to a sacred white horse, from the fogs of Claude Monet to LS Lowry’s football visions, via Queen Elizabeth’s rainbow and the unearthly light and science of Joseph Wright of Derby, Alice Loxton guides us not only through national history, but also the amazing stories of the nation’s most enduring art-works and their preservation. Delightful, engaging, packed with surprising by-ways and endlessly illuminating. (Sinclair McKay)
A delightful romp through more than one thousand years of British art and history (Elizabeth Goldring)
Absolutely brilliant! Loxton triumphs again with this dazzling history of Britain and its art. Fascinating, superbly researched, beautifully written, this is a majestic book (Kate Williams)
A sumptuous, glittering treasure trove of a book laced with clarity and warmth – reading this is like being led through an art gallery by a friend, stepping into history through the portals of the paintings and objects she reveals. Brilliantly and lightly told, filled with wonder and endlessly enjoyable, Alice Loxton is a national treasure like the paintings she uncovers. (Emily Hauser)
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