The British Imagination - Peter Watson

‘Extensive and intelligent... a guide to the nature of British intellectual curiosity’ SpectatorThe reign of Queen Elizabeth I ushered in an unprecedented age of exploration and discovery. Over 500 years that saw ‘the greatest expansion of ideas and knowledge the world has ever seen’, a small island nation, for centuries a cultural backwater, asserted itself as a world power. Breathtaking in scope, embracing literature, science, art, religion, philosophy and politics, The British Imagination brings to life those centuries between Elizabeth I and II, and asks the provocative question – are we still living in a British 'metaphysical empire'?From the acclaimed author of The German Genius and The French Mind, this is a lively and deeply researched history of the most influential personalities and ideas that made modern Britain. ‘Intriguing insights about the contemporary Anglosphere... nuanced and appreciative’ Financial Times‘Peter Watson has form when it comes to probing a nation’s psyche... Ambitious and stimulating’ Country Life  Â