The Four Nations: A History of the United Kingdom

by Frank Welsh

Even by comparison to the United States, the United Kingdom has had a brief and fractious history. Its existence as an undivided entity lasted only for a disputatious 125 years, and its future remains precarious. In The Four Nations, Frank Welsh offers a lively narrative history of the four component parts of the British Isles-England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Moving from the Roman period, which first defined many of the current internal boundaries, through the present day, Welsh describes the history of each nation, their interactions, and the impacts of crises ranging from the Norman Invasion to the Protestant Reformation to the two world wars of the twentieth century. Along the way, Welsh questions many cherished illusions and poses some awkward To what extent were Scotland, Ireland, and Wales victims of predatory English aggression? How serious is the frequently invoked specter of national fragmentation? Filled with illuminating vignettes and provocative insights, The Four Nations is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to the troubled histories of the British Isles.

Genres: History, Ireland, Ancient History, Nonfiction

512 pages, Hardcover

First published June 5, 2002

Reviews

[Nikky Southerland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welsh's work packs a LOT in these 400 pages. Skip a sentence at your own peril: you may have missed an entire rebellion. There's multitudes of history in this book, and in an effort to add everything into a cohesive work the author doesn't spend enough time putting it into context. A good introduction to the complex relationship between Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England, but you'll want to find more detail elsewhere.

[Tomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A history of the UK in less than 400 pages should tell you something. Superficial with very little background or treatment of the events. The chapters dealing with more modern history were boring.

[Martin Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clearly written, one-volume history of the four nations that make up the British Isles. Instead of a roster of leaders, this focuses on the people and the events from pre-history to the end of the 20th century. Very readable and covering all four nations from their own point of view.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bogged down by boringness about 3/4 of the way through.