Product Description

Recent surveys have shown that, as a nation, our knowledge of British history is sketchy at best. A 2001 poll found that 30 per cent of 11-18 year olds thought that Oliver Cromwell fought at the Battle of Hastings and a similar number had no idea in which century the First World War occurred. And the rest of us are no better. Many of us remember important dates and events only if there is a handy rhyme - 'In 1492 Colombus sailed the ocean blue' - or a charming folk story to accompany them. As a result Henry VIII is remembered for his wives rather than the Reformation and Charles I, who was publicly executed during the Civil War, is famous for climbing a tree! Here, in "What Happened When", Tim Taylor and the expert archaeologists and historians behind the hit Channel 4 series "Time Team" will set us straight. Each member of the team will select the events they believe had a major impact on our society and set out to justify their choices. Sixty key events will be discussed with 15 given 'star status'. Key technologies will be featured, together with photographs from Chris Bennett and illustrations from "Time Team's" own Victor Ambrus. So, whether you want a quick foray into the past or a definitive guide to British history, this book will give you and your family an accurate chronology of the events that shaped our society and a clear picture of exactly what happened when.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26284 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

From the Inside Flap
So, you think you know about British history? We all know that the Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066, that Britain declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939 and that London’s ‘one big burning blaze’ tore through the capital in 1666, but many of us remember important dates and events only if there is a handy rhyme or a charming folk story to accompany them. As a result Henry VIII is remembered for his wives rather than the Reformation, and Charles I, who was publicly executed during the Civil War, is famous for climbing a tree! If we set aside the lessons we learnt parrot fashion at school, do we really know what happened when - and why it is so important?

Which came first - the Bronze Age or the Stone Age? Why did the Romans play such a significant role in our past? And how did such a small nation become one of the greatest empires the world has ever seen? Here, in this impeccably researched and highly personal book, Tim Taylor and the expert archaeologists and historians behind Channel 4’s hit series Time Team set out to answer these questions and more by cataloguing British history in
a way that is accessible for all.

From the first traces of Hominid bones to the cultural revolution of the 1960s, a hundred events over the last 650,000 years of human history are discussed. Along the way, the team also consider the key objects/artefacts, technological advances, battles and leaders that starred in each era and shaped society as we know it today.

Whether you want a quick foray into the past or a definitive guide to British history, this book will give you and your family a clear, concise and thorough understanding of exactly what happened when and why.

About the Author
Tim Taylor is the creator of the Time Team format and its series producer. He began his working life in education, teaching for five years, including two years for VSO in Thailand. He has written a series of bestselling books on archaeology, including The Ultimate Time Team Guide and, as co-author with Mick Aston, the World Atlas of Archaeology Sites. He is a visiting professor for the Public Understanding of Archaeology at Bristol University.

Customer Reviews

Yet another BEAUTIFUL Time Team book!!
If you bought the previous Time Team book on the best historical sites and thought that was good, then you HAVE to buy this latest book.

Again, it's a heavy book, with highly glossy pages. There are yet again some stunning photos. One or two appeared in the previous book but most are new, and feature more photos from the actual Time Team excavations. My personal favourite photo is of the dig for a WW2 Spitfire, with a real Spitfire doing a flypast overhead...stunning history at work there.

The book is very accessible to all levels of history fan. There are bucket loads of information on all ages of British history from 650,000BC up to modern times. The "ages" are colour-coded in chapters, and there's an excellent timeline chart down the side of most pages to tell you which period you're reading about, and where certain events fitted in. So if you don't read it cover to cover and just read a chapter here or there, you'll never be lost as to which period of history you're reading about.

I have been reading history books for years and yet there's still a lot this book has to offer even to seasoned history and archaeology enthusiasts. Packed with information it never gets stuffy or dull. There are some great drawings/paintings by Victor(Time Team artist) to give you an idea of the era you're reading about too.
If you're a Time Team fan you won't have to be persuaded to buy this, you'll LOVE it. To others interested, I still highly recommend the book.

Essential History for All
This book should be on everyone's bookshelf, whether you are interested in History or not, and in all schools !
A potted History put over in a brief and interesting way for 'Children of all ages' to provide a Basic knowledge; without all the boring facts and figures dished out by teachers of old

Very interesting
I am about halfway through reading this book and am enjoying it immensely. It is informative and easy to read - just what you would expect from The Time Team crew. Each period in history is dealt with individually, explaining the main events and the transition from one period to another. They refer to digs that Time Team have carried out, linking them into the context of the period. I dropped history at school at the end of the third year, and have only patchy knowledge up to the end of the Tudors - this book is completing my history education in an interesting and very readable way. I strongly recommend this publication for anyone with an interest in our past, and a thirst for knowledge.