Great Britain / England

If you live in the United States, you've been affected by British culture. The English language most of us speak is only one example of the many ways American culture has grown out of British culture—the original 13 Colonies were largely settled by English immigrants, and they left their mark on the conventions, social structure, and ideals of the New World. Even something as "American" as apple pie has its roots in Olde England, where it has been made and eaten since the Middle Ages.

It's not just white Americans who owe so much to the British. Because the English largely determined the culture of the country in its early stages, all subsequent citizens have consequently inherited a shared heritage. There is certainly more diversity in the 21st century than there was 100 or even 50 years ago, and American culture is in a constant state of flux due to its ever-changing demographic, but it remains true that we've all beenAnglicizedto some degree or other.

This has led many to become Anglophiles. It would be a lie to say there are none at Exodus Books (though not all the employees share the same enthusiasm), and this has to some extent determined the nature of our selection, particularly in history and literature. Anglophiles are simply those with an excessive interest in all things English, or those whose view of history sees the West as represented by Great Britain as the starting and focal point for all study of history. The latter view is obviously flawed, but the former usually manifests itself in mostly harmless ways.

Like U.S. history, British history isn't entirely of a piece. The British Isles include five distinct regions (England, Scotland and Wales on the Eastern island; Ireland and Northern Ireland on the Western), and each has its own history, people groups, and languages. In recent years these areas have become slightly more united in theory, though high levels of regional pride still exist. Also like Americans, the British people are a mix of indigenous races and foreigners, many of them invaders in the ancient and early Medieval periods.

England in particular has always enjoyed a prominent role in world culture and affairs. Though their range of influence has lessened in the last few decades, the hand of the English can still be seen in the remnants of Empire: in India, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and all the other Commonwealth nations around the world. Historical epochs like the Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment have always found a strong foothold in the Isles, and the British have frequently been at the forefront of social and humanitarian reform, particularly in the case of slavery.

At the same time, the British have always been distinct in their own identity and culture, recognizable the world over for their careful scholarship, incredible works of art, awesome sense of humor, and stiff-upper-lippedness. Despite having been attacked and settled by Romans, Germans, Vikings, and Franks, the Isles' Celtic heritage remains (though to be fair, the Celts were also interlopers). British history is both essential for understanding our own (U.S.) history, and for the shape of the whole modern world. It's also fascinating to study in its own right, not least for its frequently bizarre moments.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.

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A Christmas Carol Audio Drama - 2 CD set
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Adam of the Road
Puffin Newbery Library
by Elizabeth Gray
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1943 Newbery Medal winner
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Andie's Moon
Historical House: 1969
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Armourer's House
by Rosemary Sutcliff, illustrated by C. Walter Hodges
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England, 1500s for 4th-8th grade
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British Empire
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Historical House: 1895
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Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species
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God's Adventurer
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Great Empires - CD-ROM
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Growth of the British Empire
Story of the World Series #5
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British History Reference for 4th-8th grade
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Growth of the British Empire
Story of the World Series #5
by M. B. Synge
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British History Reference for 4th-8th grade
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Guide to Great Britain
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Henry VIII
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Humble Leader
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Inside-Outside Book of London
by Roxie Munro
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Ireland
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Island of the Mighty
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Kings and Queens of England - Coloring Book
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Lady Jane Grey
Christian Biographies for Young Readers
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Let's Explore the British Isles
by Caroline Walker, with maps & illustrations by Gloris Smith Young
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Man Who Made Time Travel
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First Edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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2004 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
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Market Square Dog
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Murder for Her Majesty
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Norman Grubb
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Our Empire Story
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by H. E. Marshall
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Our Island Story
by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
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Play's the Thing
by Ruth Turk
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Player King
by Avi
from Atheneum
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Polly's March
Historical House: 1914
by Linda Newbery
from Educational Development Corporation
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Prince and the Pauper
by Mark Twain, illustrated by William Hatherell
from Harper & Brothers
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Queen's Most Honorable Pirate
by James Playsted Wood, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher
from HarperCrest
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Rivals in Parliament
by Iris Noble
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Robin Hood
by Jane Carruth, Illustrated by Chris Higham
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Robin Hood and His Merry Outlaws
Dover Evergreen Classics
by J. Walker McSpadden
from Dover Publications
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Robin Hood and His Merry Outlaws
Rainbow Classics
by J. Walker McSpadden, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
from World Publishing Company
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Roman Britain
by Jane Chisholm, Ruth Brocklehurst
from Usborne
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Roman Britain
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Royal Faces
by Hugh Clayton
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Saxons and the Normans
by Ladybird Books
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Scotland
from Crescent Books
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Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude
by Louise Borden
1st edition from Margaret K. McElderry Books
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Search for King Arthur
by Christopher Hibbert
1st edition from Harper & Row
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Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett, illustrated by Jill Bauman
from Longmeadow Press
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Seven Kings of England
by Geoffrey Trease
from Vanguard Press
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Shakespeare's England
by Louis B. Wright
from Harper & Row
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Sir Francis Drake
Library of Explorers and Exploration
by Joy Paige
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Sir Walter Raleigh: Captain and Adventurer
by Nina Brown Baker
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Spanish Armada
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Spider Sparrow
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Stonehenge and Neighbouring Monuments
by R.J.C. Atkinson
2nd edition from English Heritage
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$1.50 (1 in stock)
Stories of the Covenanters in Scotland for Young People
by Robert Pollok
from Sprinkle Publications
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$20.00 (2 in stock)
Story of Edith Cavell
Signature Books #47
by Iris Vinton, illustrated by Gerald McCann
from Grosset & Dunlap
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Story of Winston Churchill
Grosset & Dunlap Signature #40
by Alida Sims Malkus, illustrated by H. B. Vestal
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Biography for 3rd-8th grade
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Stronger than the Sword
by Faith Cook
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
Swallows' Flight
by Hilary McKay
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$17.99
Time Sight
by Lynne Jonell
from Henry Holt and Company
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$16.99
To Be a Pilgrim
by Joyce Reason
1980th edition from Christian Literature Crusade
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$3.50 (1 in stock)
Tudors & Stuarts
by Fiona Patchett
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
Victoria and Her Court
by Virginia Schomp
from Marshall Cavendish Education
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Warriors Through the Ages - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Bruce LaFontaine
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Who Was Henry VIII?
Who Was?...Series
by Ellen Labrecque, illustrated by Jake Murray
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Who Were the Beatles?
Who Was?...Series
by Geoff Edgers
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$6.99
William Booth
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
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$11.99
William Carey: Bearer of Good News
Heroes for Young Readers
by Renee Taft Meloche
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William the Conqueror
by Robert Green
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World Explorer: Sir Francis Drake
by John Foster
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Writing on the Hearth
by Cynthia Harnett
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$9.00 (1 in stock)
You Are There! London 1666
by Dona Herweck Rice
from Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
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Young Shakespeare
by Tony Bonning, illustrated by Gillian Alexander
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