The history of the British Isles is the story of four peoples linked together by a process of state building that was as much about far-sighted planning and vision as coincidence, accident and failure. It is a history of revolts and reversal, familial bonds and enmity, the study of which does much to explain the underlying tension between the nations of modern day Britain.

The Making of the British Islesrecounts the development of the nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland from the time of the Anglo-French dual monarchy under Henry VI through the Wars of the Roses, the Reformation crisis, the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, the Anglo-Scottish dynastic union, the British multiple monarchy and the Cromwellian Republic, ending with the acts of British Union and the Restoration of the Monarchy.

This complete overview of the interaction between England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales shows how each country's sense of national identity was shaped by the politics of state formation.

About the Author

Professor Steven Ellis is Head of the History Department in NUI Galway. His best-known studies are Irelandin the Age of the Tudors(London, 1998) and Tudor Frontiers and Noble Power: the making of the British state (Oxford, 1995). Christopher Maginn is Assistant Professor of History at Fordham University, NY.

Dr Christopher Maginn is Assistant Professor at Fordham University New York. He has recently authored 'Civilizing' Gaelic Leinster: the extension of Tudor rule in the O'Byrne and O'Toole lordships (Four Courts Press, 2004).

Book Information
ISBN 9780582040038
Author Steven G. Ellis
Format Paperback
Page Count 456
Imprint Longman
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 680g