The Little Book of Great Britain

This little gem of a book is a repository of intriguing, fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts and trivia about Britain and all the things that have made it great. Within this volume are such themes as myths and legends, traditions and customs, great Britons and great British places, while not forgotten is a celebration of the best of British music, food, entertainment and sport and a host of topics that explore the more eccentric and eclectic people and things that contribute to and define Great Britain. Despite being a relatively small collection of islands, there is always something new, fascinating, frivolous or even bizarre to discover about Great Britain – you will find much of it here.

Did you know?

• There is no location in Britain which is more than 74½ miles from the sea.
• The first person in Britain to be convicted of speeding was Walter Arnold of Kent, who in 1896 was fined 1s plus costs for driving at a breakneck 8mph.

• Britain has some thoroughly unusual pub names, including: The Bucket of Blood in Phillack, Cornwall, The Honest Lawyer in Folkestone and The Old Thirteenth Cheshire Astley Volunteer Rifleman Corps Inn in Stalybridge – which also enjoys the honour of having Britain’s longest pub name.

• Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a well-known corgi fan. She owned no fewer than 30 during her reign, the first being Susan, who was given to her in 1944.

NEIL STOREY is an award-winning historian and lecturer specialising in themes that shaped society in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, notably crime, medicine and warfare. He has published over 30 books, is the creator of the popular Grim Almanac series published by The History Press and regularly writes features on social history themes for national periodicals. Storey is distinguished by his original and diligent research; he has assembled a nationally respected archive of rare books, manuscripts, engravings and photographs to illustrate his works and has featured on numerous television and radio documentaries as guest, historical adviser and consultant.