‘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
 
 

 

"'This book is a grand endeavour in every sense . . . Watson offers a kaleidoscopic, often provocative insight into British intellectual and social development over the centuries'" - Observer

"‘This is a book with much to offer – Watson highlights the role of scientific innovation in shaping British identity, gives intriguing insights about the contemporary Anglosphere and delivers a nuanced and appreciative account of the post-imperial and migrant contribution to modern English writing’" - Financial Times