The British Imagination
A History of Ideas from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II
Published on 22. May 2025
400 pages
978-1-3985-1390-7 (ISBN)
Description
'Extensive and intelligent . . . a guide to the nature of British intellectual curiosity' Spectator
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I ushered in an unprecedented age of exploration and discovery. Over 500 years that saw 'the greatest expansion of ideas and knowledge the world has ever seen', a small island nation, for centuries a cultural backwater, asserted itself as a world power.
Breathtaking in scope, embracing literature, science, art, religion, philosophy and politics, The British Imagination brings to life those centuries between Elizabeth I and II, and asks the provocative question ? are we still living in a British 'metaphysical empire'?
From the acclaimed author of The German Genius and The French Mind, this is a lively and deeply researched history of the most influential personalities and ideas that made modern Britain.
'Intriguing insights about the contemporary Anglosphere . . . nuanced and appreciative' Financial Times
'Peter Watson has form when it comes to probing a nation's psyche . . . Ambitious and stimulating' Country Life
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I ushered in an unprecedented age of exploration and discovery. Over 500 years that saw 'the greatest expansion of ideas and knowledge the world has ever seen', a small island nation, for centuries a cultural backwater, asserted itself as a world power.
Breathtaking in scope, embracing literature, science, art, religion, philosophy and politics, The British Imagination brings to life those centuries between Elizabeth I and II, and asks the provocative question ? are we still living in a British 'metaphysical empire'?
From the acclaimed author of The German Genius and The French Mind, this is a lively and deeply researched history of the most influential personalities and ideas that made modern Britain.
'Intriguing insights about the contemporary Anglosphere . . . nuanced and appreciative' Financial Times
'Peter Watson has form when it comes to probing a nation's psyche . . . Ambitious and stimulating' Country Life
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Other editions
Additional editions
Book
04/2026
Simon & Schuster Ltd
€19.00
Available immediately
Book
05/2025
Simon & Schuster Ltd
€37.50
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
Peter Watson is a journalist, television presenter and historian of ideas. He was a senior editor of the Sunday Times, New York correspondent of The Times and a columnist for the Observer. He has written for multiple publications, including the New York Times and Spectator. His books, which have been translated into more than 25 languages, include Ideas: A History from Fire to Freud, The German Genius, The French Mind and Convergence: The Idea at the Heart of Science.
