Book description
From the author of 'Britain BC', 'Britain AD' and 'Britain in the
Middle Ages' comes the fourth and final part in a critically acclaimed
series on Britain's hidden past.
The relevance of archaeology to the study of the ancient world is
indisputable. But, when exploring our recent past, does it have any role
to play? In 'The Birth of Modern Britain' Francis Pryor highlights
archaeology's continued importance to the world around us.
The pioneers of the Industrial Revolution were too busy innovating to
record what was happening around them but fortunately the buildings and
machines they left behind bring the period to life. During the Second
World War, the imminent threat of invasion meant that constructing
strong defences was much more important than keeping precise records. As
a result, when towns were flattened, archaeology provided the only real
means of discovering what had been destroyed.
Surveying the whole post-medieval period, from 1550 until the present
day, Francis Pryor takes us on an exhilarating journey, bringing to a
gripping conclusion his illuminating study of Britain's hidden past.
'Hugely enjoyable…You will learn a lot from it - and one of the things
is how much work has gone into unearthing all this stuff. You will
certainly never look at the A5 in the same way again' DAILY TELEGRAPH
'No one person has previously attempted such a journey into Britain's
entire archaeological past, and this book brings the series to a
successful - and refreshingly jargon-free - conclusion' BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE
'[Pryor's] enthusiasm for getting his hands dirty is infectious' SUNDAY TIMES
'Much to admire…fascinating details' GUARDIAN
'Immensely fascinating case histories' DAILY EXPRESS Dr Francis Pryor
has spent thirty years studying the prehistory of the Fens. He has
excavated sites as diverse as Bronze Age farms, field systems and entire
Iron Age villages. From 1980 he turned his attention to pre-Roman
religion and has excavated barrows, 'henges' and a large site dating to
3800 B. C. In 1987, with his wife Maisie Taylor, he set up the Fenland
Archaeological Trust. He appears frequently on TV's 'Time Team' and is
the author of 'Seahenge', 'Britain B. C.' and 'Britain A. D.'
