This Sceptred Isle

Christopher Lee created then wrote the three books and the 305 history programmes for BBC Radio 4. The first series traced the history of Britain from the Romans to the death of Victoria. The second covered the 20th century. The third is the history of the British Empire and will be broadcast from the autumn of 2005 until the summer of 2006.
In addition to the programmes nearly one million tapes and CDs have been sold. The website of This Sceptred Isle potted history and quizzes gets tens of thousands hits a week.


What they said about
This Sceptred Isle:

A staggering achievement that is not only readable and interesting but user-friendly
::: The Observer

His extraordinary and compelling history ... Amazing stuff: insightful, accessible and hugely addictive  ... It makes you begin to understand your place in the chronological scheme of things
::: Time Out

Thought- provoking ... It is selective but objective, it interprets without being unduly opinionated
::: Daily Mail

A tour de force ::: Daily Express


The origin of
This Sceptred Isle:

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,--
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.

"King Richard II", Act 2 scene 1