Alice Loxton on A History of Britain in 21 Paintings

Alice Loxton on A History of Britain in 21 Paintings

The acclaimed author of Eleanor and Eighteen comes another entertaining, illuminating tour of British history through 21 iconic paintings.

From an image carried by St Augustine when he arrived on our shores in 597AD and a glittering portrait of a Tudor queen to Stubbs' majestic rendering of Whistlejacket and L.S. Lowry's depictions of daily life in Bolton, each painting in this transformative history illuminates key moments in our island's story. These are tales of foundation, revolution, upheaval and resilience.

Along the way, Loxton visits locations that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary works of art: a winding riverbank, a local supermarket, a secret mountain quarry, a bustling hospital. She is joined by a rich cast of characters, including conservators, pub locals and a fearsome dragon, and discovers the stories behind some of Britain's most fascinating myths (who really was St George? Did the people of the Middle Ages think the world was flat? What was the Pineapple Craze? Why do Scots wear tartan?).

This is a sweeping, joyful history that will inspire you to explore the wonders of Britain and change the way you look at paintings for ever.

Alice Loxton is a bestselling author, historian and presenter, with more than three million followers on social media (@history_alice). She is passionate about bringing history to new audiences and has worked with organisations including the National Trust, the Royal Academy, English Heritage, the National Gallery, Tate, the King's Foundation and 10 Downing Street. Loxton judged the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2025 and the Art Fund Museum of the Year Award in 2026. She is the author of three bestselling books, including Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen, for which she was a winner of a Somerset Maugham Award, and Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives, which was named Blackwell's Book of the Year in 2024.