The award-winning story of Britain, from the arrival of Julius Caesar in 55BC to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. 'Wonderful…This Sceptred Isle has provided one of the greatest treats for listeners in recent years.' Paul Donovan, Sunday Times.

The story of Britain, from the arrival of Julius Caesar in 55BC to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, was specially written for BBC Radio 4 by Christopher Lee, narrated by Anna Massey and features extracts from Sir Winston Churchill's A History of the English-speaking Peoples read by Paul Eddington. This audio is an accessible guide to British history for everyone including those who were taught it badly at school, those who have forgotten much of what they learnt and those with a passion for the subject.

History is often seen just as a series of dates, a fact of which Christopher Lee is very well aware. When he wrote This Sceptred Isle, Lee ensured there were plenty of fascinating details to bring the dates to life, and according to the listeners of Radio 4 and the purchasers of over 100,000 copies of This Sceptred Isle audio tapes to date, he succeeded in his aims.

For instance - everyone knows that English people have a tendency not to learn foreign languages effectively - but did you know that this may stem from an ancient antipathy to the French dating from the Norman Conquest, and its aftermath, in which French was perceived as the language of the oppressor?

Ever thought about how people kept themselves clean back in the Dark Ages? Well they certainly didn't soak in a bath because after the Romans left in 410 AD no-one really had a bath in England until the end of the 18th Century!

These are the sort of facts that Christopher Lee knows makes history fun and brings it to life.