A Short History of England

Name: A Short History of England
Author: G. K. Chesterton
ISBN: 9781836105985

Author: G. K. Chesterton
Language: English
Length: 95 pages
ISBN: 9781836105985
Published: 26 October 2026
Imprint: Sovereign

English history
Middle Ages
peasant revolt
medieval guilds
Roman Britain
Tudor monarchy
dissolution of monasteries
enclosure acts
Whig oligarchy
popular democracy

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Description

Rejecting orthodox chronicles of kings and parliamentary decrees, this stirring history views England through the eyes of its common people. Tracing Britain from its enduring Roman and Christian foundations through the vibrant guilds and communal liberties of the Middle Ages, the narrative critiques the Tudor destruction of the monasteries, the rise of a wealthy oligarchy, and the enclosures of common lands that disinherited the English populace.

Author

Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an English writer, often referred to as the prince of paradox. Chesterton is well known for his fictional priest-detective Father Brown, and for his reasoned apologetics. Even some of those who disagree with him have recognized the wide appeal of such works as Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man. Chesterton's wit, paradoxical style, and defence of tradition made him a dominant figure in early 20th-century literature.

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