A History of England in 25 Poems
Published on 4. September 2025
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-0-241-76598-2 (ISBN)
Description
A delightful, thoughtful and original new way to understand England's history
'I couldn't put it down' - Cerys Matthews, BBC Radio 6
'Catherine Clarke uses an eclectic mix of verse - satirical, scabrous, tragic, lyrical - to tell the English national story... the emotional intimacy of poetry (aided by Clarke's careful, historically informed analysis) offers valuable insights into great historical events' - Katherine Harvey, The Times
This is the history of England told in a new way: glimpsed through twenty-five remarkable poems written down between the eighth century and today, which connect us directly with the nation's past, and the experiences, emotions and imaginations of those who lived it.
These poems open windows onto wildly different worlds - from the public to the intimate, from the witty to the savage, from the playful to the wistful. They take us onto battlefields, inside royal courts, down coal mines and below stairs in great houses. Their creators, witnesses to events from the Great Fire of London to the Miners' Strike, range from the famous to the forgotten, yet each invites us into an immersive encounter with their own time.
A History of England in 25 Poems is a portal to the past; a constant companion, filled with vivid voices and surprising stories alongside familiar landmarks, and language that speaks in new ways on each reading. Catherine Clarke's knowledge and passion take us inside the words and the moments they capture, with thoughtful insights, humour and new perspectives on how the nation has dreamed itself into existence - and who gets to tell England's story.
'I couldn't put it down' - Cerys Matthews, BBC Radio 6
'Catherine Clarke uses an eclectic mix of verse - satirical, scabrous, tragic, lyrical - to tell the English national story... the emotional intimacy of poetry (aided by Clarke's careful, historically informed analysis) offers valuable insights into great historical events' - Katherine Harvey, The Times
This is the history of England told in a new way: glimpsed through twenty-five remarkable poems written down between the eighth century and today, which connect us directly with the nation's past, and the experiences, emotions and imaginations of those who lived it.
These poems open windows onto wildly different worlds - from the public to the intimate, from the witty to the savage, from the playful to the wistful. They take us onto battlefields, inside royal courts, down coal mines and below stairs in great houses. Their creators, witnesses to events from the Great Fire of London to the Miners' Strike, range from the famous to the forgotten, yet each invites us into an immersive encounter with their own time.
A History of England in 25 Poems is a portal to the past; a constant companion, filled with vivid voices and surprising stories alongside familiar landmarks, and language that speaks in new ways on each reading. Catherine Clarke's knowledge and passion take us inside the words and the moments they capture, with thoughtful insights, humour and new perspectives on how the nation has dreamed itself into existence - and who gets to tell England's story.
Reviews / Votes
Catherine Clarke traces centuries of English thought and poetry, from the time of Beowulf to the protests written in the wake of Brexit. She weaves together the personal and the public with stories of the Danelaw, French nobles, Yorkshire miners, and the heart-rending plight of the 16th-century Protestant martyr Anne Askew. An excellent, all-encompassing read * The Idler * Catherine Clarke uses an eclectic mix of verse - satirical, scabrous, tragic, lyrical - to tell the English national story... the emotional intimacy of poetry (aided by Clarke's careful, historically informed analysis) offers valuable insights into great historical events -- Katherine Harvey * The Times * An ambitious, thoughtful book that attempts to tell the messy, contested story of the nation... While being lightly written, Clarke's book is deeply researched, and takes us to some very unexpected places -- Nathan Brooker * The Financial Times * Offering poetic vantage points on 1,300 years of war, pastoralism and pestilence, it does exactly what it says on the cover... Clarke constantly balances the energies and elegies of our national tale to deliver a wonderfully refreshing book -- Gavin Plumley * Country Life * One to read for anybody who's ever climbed a lamp-post to put up a flag; or indeed climbed a lamp-post to pull one down again -- Hugo Rifkind * Times Radio * I couldn't put it down -- Cerys Matthews * BBC Radio 6 *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 238 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 39 mm
Weight
626 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-76598-2 (9780241765982)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Catherine Clarke is a Professor at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, and Director of the Victoria County History of England. She was previously Professor of English Literature at the University of Southampton, where she remains a Visiting Professor.