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This Sceptred Isle #6
This Sceptred Isle, Vol. 6: The First British Empire 1702-1760
The award-winning story of Britain, from the arrival of Julius Caesar in 55BC to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, specially written for BBC Radio 4 by Christopher Lee, narrated by Anna Massey and featuring extracts from Sir Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples read by Peter Jeffrey.
Queen Anne was the last Stuart monarch. In her twelve years on the throne she became the last monarch to veto an Act of Parliament. Scotland was officially united with England and Wales and the Duke of Marlborough - Churchill's most illustrious ancestor - became a national hero in winning the Battle of Blenheim. When Anne died without an heir, Great Britain acquired its first Hanoverian king - George I.
The reigns of the first two Georges witnessed the first great financial scandal - the South Sea Bubble - and the rise of Robert Walpole, the man usually called Britain's first Prime Minister. Rule Britannia and God Save the King came into the national repertoire, gin and grog came into the national drinks cabinet and William Pitt the Elder, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Clive of India all found their way to centre stage.
Queen Anne was the last Stuart monarch. In her twelve years on the throne she became the last monarch to veto an Act of Parliament. Scotland was officially united with England and Wales and the Duke of Marlborough - Churchill's most illustrious ancestor - became a national hero in winning the Battle of Blenheim. When Anne died without an heir, Great Britain acquired its first Hanoverian king - George I.
The reigns of the first two Georges witnessed the first great financial scandal - the South Sea Bubble - and the rise of Robert Walpole, the man usually called Britain's first Prime Minister. Rule Britannia and God Save the King came into the national repertoire, gin and grog came into the national drinks cabinet and William Pitt the Elder, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Clive of India all found their way to centre stage.
3 pages, Audio CD
First published May 1, 1996
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21 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Lee
329 books34 followersChristopher Lee was a British writer, historian, and broadcaster, best known for creating and writing the acclaimed BBC Radio 4 documentary series This Sceptred Isle. His career spanned journalism, academia, military service, and historical writing.
After an early life at sea, he studied history at London University before joining the BBC as a defence and foreign affairs correspondent, with postings in Moscow and the Middle East. He later transitioned into academia, becoming the first Quatercentenary Fellow in Contemporary History at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and conducting research at Birkbeck College. He also served in the Royal Navy's Joint Intelligence Reserve Branch, reaching the rank of captain.
Lee’s This Sceptred Isle, originally broadcast in 1995, chronicled British history from Roman times to the 20th century and was expanded with additional series covering the 20th century and the British Empire. His historical works include 1603, Nelson and Napoleon, and Monarchy, Past, Present… and Future?, as well as an abridgment of Winston Churchill's A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. He was also a prolific radio playwright, penning over 100 plays and series for BBC Radio 4.
Beyond writing, he served as a defence and foreign affairs adviser to the British Forces Broadcasting Service for 30 years and was involved in policy analysis.
He divided his time between Sussex and Florence, Italy, and was married to portrait painter Fiona Graham-Mackay. Lee passed away in 2021 at the age of 79.
After an early life at sea, he studied history at London University before joining the BBC as a defence and foreign affairs correspondent, with postings in Moscow and the Middle East. He later transitioned into academia, becoming the first Quatercentenary Fellow in Contemporary History at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and conducting research at Birkbeck College. He also served in the Royal Navy's Joint Intelligence Reserve Branch, reaching the rank of captain.
Lee’s This Sceptred Isle, originally broadcast in 1995, chronicled British history from Roman times to the 20th century and was expanded with additional series covering the 20th century and the British Empire. His historical works include 1603, Nelson and Napoleon, and Monarchy, Past, Present… and Future?, as well as an abridgment of Winston Churchill's A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. He was also a prolific radio playwright, penning over 100 plays and series for BBC Radio 4.
Beyond writing, he served as a defence and foreign affairs adviser to the British Forces Broadcasting Service for 30 years and was involved in policy analysis.
He divided his time between Sussex and Florence, Italy, and was married to portrait painter Fiona Graham-Mackay. Lee passed away in 2021 at the age of 79.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 1, 2018
I haven't actually reviewed any of these yet, but any one volume is as good as the next. This is, thus far, a good overview of British history. It's very heavy on monarchy perspective and key events/battles. There's almost nothing of common life, but what can you expect on episodes that cover many decades in 3 hours of audio? The production value (it is an archive of a radio program) is good. As an audiobook, the format of triple narrator is fine, but it gets annoying how a new reader takes over every paragraph.
May 12, 2018
This whole series has been a delightful, engaging listen. There have been several times when I have been distracted (chores, driving, etc.) and had to go back and re-listen to certain chapters... but none have been a detriment to my entertainment.
Delightfully narrated (2 narrators in turn) with characters of history quoted by other voice actors. Some of whom seem overwrought but none who jar one out of the scene taking place.
I have the next two already downloaded and queued... now I have to place a hold on the subsequent volume. Thank goodness for access to my "local" library - online.
Delightfully narrated (2 narrators in turn) with characters of history quoted by other voice actors. Some of whom seem overwrought but none who jar one out of the scene taking place.
I have the next two already downloaded and queued... now I have to place a hold on the subsequent volume. Thank goodness for access to my "local" library - online.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews