Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives
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At eighteen, your life is full of of what-ifs and why-nots. You have everything to look forward to – yet childhood is already behind you.
From a young Elizabeth Tudor facing deadly intrigue at court to a teenage Richard Burton, the rugby-obsessed son of a Welsh miner, historian Alice Loxton explores Britain’s past through the lives of eighteen figures at this crucial age.
How do you make a living in Georgian London with no arms or legs? What would you do if a world war interrupted your university studies? With plenty of wit and insight, Eighteen invites readers to join an eclectic cast of young Britons across the nation and throughout its history.
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‘'Life can be full of difficulties and challenges - those stings of a nettle, those lurking rabbit holes. But by taking that unknown path - by embracing the spirit of being eighteen - the rewards can be manifold. Who knows what sun-dapple orchards or gently flowing streams await?''
‘'And as you pull open the door, and head down the stairs to join the others, you step forward into the rest of your life. Ready for whatever the future may hold. Ready for whatever is written in the stars.''
In this outstanding book, you will have dinner with queens, historians, thespians, fashion designers, scientists, adventurers, doctors, poets, writers. You will have dinner with people like you and me whose fate became synonymous with Britain's destiny. You will come to understand that at eighteen we thought we could change the world. Some of us succeeded in doing just that. Others wanted to ‘just be adults, finally'. And we managed to do so. At eighteen, the world is there for the taking.
Alice Loxton is an amazing writer. The freshness of her narration, the vividness with which she breathes life into larger-than-life personalities, the way her writing makes everything and everyone so approachable is nothing short of outstanding. She is a treasure for Britain, and for all of us who adore History told not in a textbook ‘voice' but in the spirit of our time. She makes History come alive in the most striking way possible.
From the Venerable Bede to Geoffrey Chaucer, from Empress Matilda to Elizabeth I, from Horace Nelson to Mary Anning, from Elsie Inglis to Vita Sackville-West, from Richard Burton to Vivienne Westwood, eighteen Britons await for you to discover them in all their early adult glory in a book that will captivate your heart.
‘'Without further ado, this is a story of young people who made their mark and played a part in the story of Britain. Hold onto your party hats. It is much more surprising, exciting and impressive than you might expect. This is a snapshot of Britain through the eighteen-year-olds who have sculpted it. This is what it means to be British. This is what it means to be eighteen.''
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
