Stephen Halliday is a historian specialising in British and industrial history. He is an authority on the history of London, with a special interest in the great engineering works. He is the author of The Great Stink and a number of books in the best-selling Amazing and Extraordinary Facts series by Rydon Publishing, including London Underground, London and Cathedrals and Abbeys. He contributes articles and reviews to magazines such as Literary Review, Times Higher Education, BBC History and History Today. Stephen lives in Cambridge.

Select Guide Rating

• 1 The Making of Britain 12 2 An Island Nation? 12 3 Going to Extremes 14 4 Meet the Ancestors 16 5 United by Geography, Divided by History? 17 6 The Tongue That Straddles the Globe 20 7 Hundreds of Years of Hurt 23 8 Extraordinary Places 25 9 A Hitler Among the Scousers 25 10 Want to Relocate Your Old Capital City? 27 11 My Horse for Your Daughter? 27 12 The Second City of the Empire 28 13 Ancient Essex Man a Devout Breed 28 14 Fractious French Exchange Programme Prompts Foundation of Britain's Oldest University 29 15 The Scottish Missionary Position 29 16 Linenopolis to Metropolis 30 17 'The Very Ramparts of Heaven' 30 18 Wales' Hidden Treasure-Trove 31 19 Water Way To Have A Good Time 31 20 Pulling Out The Stops 32 21 Dodgy Handshakes and Umpteen Takes 32 22 Shells of the Non-Collectible Variety 33 23 Sixty Warriors to the Square Inch 33 24 Morning Campers! 34 25 Cambria Ne'er Can Yield! 35 26 One-Way Ticket to The Eternal Underground 36 27 Oldest and Oldest 36 28 The Venice of the West (Midlands) 37 29 Tearing Down the Walls 38 30 The Heart of the British Film Industry 38 31 The Underground Church 39 32 Kings, Queens and Princes 40 33 Murderer Assassinated by Shakespeare 41 34 Chariots of Ire 41 35 Medieval Myth or Real Romano-British Resistance Fighter? 42 36 Wessex Warrior 42 37 The Importance of Being 'Unraed' 44 38 Prince of Wales Bowled Out 45 39 The Bard Comes Down Hard on the Thame of Glamis 45 40 Robert the Bruce Bides His Time 47 41 The Guardian of Scotland 48 42 The Tragic Catholic Cousin of the Virgin Queen 49 43 Placid Cymru? 51 44 William Conquers his Coronation Day Nerves 52 45 From Playboy Prince to Contemptible King 52 46 Eminent Surgeons Save the Day with Acid, Scalpels and Cigars 54 47 Two Divorces, One Abdication and a Trip to See Hitler 55 48 'Who Will Rid Me Of This Turbulent Priest?' 56 49 Summary Execution, Cambridge University and Bloody Civil War 58 50 Oliver Who? 60 51 A Grave End for Pocahontas 61 52 British Food and Drink 63 53 Protein, Carbohydrate, Salt and Fat 63 54 You Are What You Eat 63 55 You've Never Had It So Good 64 56 The Best Thing Since Sliced Flour and Water 65 57 Nice Cold Ice Cold Milk 67 58 'Wine Is But Single Broth; Ale Is Meat, Drink and Cloth' 69 59 The Water of Life 70 60 Forget Toothpaste: Clean Your Teeth With Sugar 71 61 Mashed-up Organs Boiled in Guts, Anyone? 72 62 Prostitutes Allegedly the Most Beautiful Women in Britain 73 63 Gathered by Virgins 75 64 Seeking a Healthy Balanced Diet? Go to War 76 65 Marmite for the Masses! 78 66 Disease and Death in the Pot and Bottle 79 67 Champagne: Made in Britain! 81 68 Mother Nature's Bountiful Harvest 82 69 Keeping Up With The Cromwells 85 70 Brittania Rules The Waves Thanks to Pickled Cabbage 85 71 British Government: Politics, Money and the Law 88 72 Tories and Whigs 88 73 Speak Up Mr Speaker! 88 74 The King's Jews 90 75 The Poll Tax 92 76 Father of English Literature Swaps Quill For Shears 94 77 Morton's Fork 95 78 Stamping Out The Smugglers 95 79 Pitt's Pictures and Daylight Robbery 97 80 William Pitt Strikes Again 98 81 Swamps and Midges Spread Diseases 100 82 The South Sea Bubble Bursts 103 83 That's Got To Hurt 105 84 Anything But Prison 107 85 The Bloody Code 108 86 Extraordinary Britons 110 87 The Great Outlaw 110 88 Will The Schoolmaster? 111 89 'A Certain Flush With Every Pull?' 112 90 Curiosity Killed The Cat 11491 Brain of Britain 114 92 Doctor Pox 116 93 All Steamed Up 117 94 Half Nelsons 119 95 'Such A Damned Fool?' 120 96 Chip Off The Old Block 122 97 The Reluctant Clergyman 123 98 Immortalized in Print 124 99 The Lady with the Calculator 125 100 The First Stamp 127