The History Lessons

Shalina Patel is the history teacher I wish I had at school, and her first book shows she is the history teacher Britain needs now. A lively, timely, highly engaging book * Sathnam Sanghera * From the Romans to present day, we are taken on an eye-opening journey that looks beyond the usual narratives and people. Engaging and well-researched, this is a vital book for our times, and Shalina Patel is the history teacher I wish I'd had. * Kavita Puri, author of Partition Voices: Untold British Stories * I wish I'd had this book when I was young. Shalina has done a superb job of shining a light on important history, too often left in the shadows. * Anita Anand, author of The Patient Assassin * I love this book, the idea behind this book, and the history inside this book. It's scholarly, lively, entertaining, inclusive and compassionate. It's highly readable and full of fascinating facts. Alongside many of the well-known big events that have made Britain, from the Roman Invasion, to the Black Death, the Victorian Age and Empire, Shalina also deftly weaves in new stories. She makes space for people you might not have heard of like Licoricia, Mabel Letheridge and Khudadad Khan. This is a new way of writing accessible history for all, at a time when we need this more than ever. And like so many other I also proudly say 'I wish Shalina had been my history school teacher' * Professor Joanna Lewis, London School of Economics * History can be a daunting subject for many of us, but Shalina Patel befriends her reader with a warm, witty style that entertains and educates in equal measure. This book is the perfect guide for history enthusiasts and beginners alike. * Priya Atwal, author of Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire *