The Discovery of Britain

An Accidental History

Graham Robb

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Hardback

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English

Picador
28 October 2025

History; British & Irish history; Travel writing

'Graham Robb has found a new format for writing history just as Craig Brown found a fresh way to write biography' - Alan Johnson

'Robb tumbles into British history with an infectious enthusiasm . . . immensely entertaining' - Chris Bryant, author of The Glamour Boys

Taking the reader on a time-travelling adventure around the 'spindly, sea-wracked islands' we call home, The Discovery of Britain is history that's panoramic and intimate, poignant and shocking, seriously funny, and enlightening in the most surprising way.

In the assured hands of the prize-winning author of The Discovery of France, and often from the unique vantage point of his bicycle, we encounter an entertaining cast of characters foreign and homegrown, drop in on places and events, and dwell on the successes and catastrophes across British history. From ancient settlements swallowed up by the sea and the creation of Stonehenge to the advent of multiculturalism and recent political earthquakes, all is seen as it's never been seen before.

With intriguing maps and illustrations throughout, The Discovery of Britain can be devoured whole or each chapter read in the time it takes to change a bicycle tyre or drink a cup of coffee. The wonderful choice of how to enjoy this original and sweeping history of Britain is yours.

By: Graham Robb
Imprint: Picador
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 243mm, Width: 165mm, Spine: 41mm
Weight: 694g
ISBN: 9781035026111
ISBN 10: 1035026112
Pages: 464
Publication Date: 28 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Graham Robb was born in Manchester in 1958 and is a former fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. He has published widely on French literature and history. His book The Discovery of France won both the Duff Cooper and Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prizes. For Parisians the City of Paris awarded him the Grande Médaille de la Ville de Paris. He lives on the English-Scottish border. The Discovery of Britain is his tenth book.

Reviews for The Discovery of Britain: An Accidental History

Robb tumbles into British history with an infectious enthusiasm . . . immensely entertaining -- Chris Bryant, author of <i>The Glamour Boys<i> A dazzling and dizzyingly wonderful roam through Britain's past. This is history writing as you've never read it before – enchanting and truly exciting' -- Jack Cornish, author of <i>The Lost Paths</i>