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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Adventurous Life of Winston Churchill
by Geoffrey Bocca
from Julian Messner
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Anno's Britain
by Mitsumasa Anno
1st edition from Philomel Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Battle for the Falklands
by Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins
from W. W. Norton and Co.
for 10th-Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
Battle of Britain
World Landmark #10
by Quentin Reynolds
from Random House
for 5th-8th grade
in World Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAN)
Bayeux Tapestry
by Norman Denny & Josephine Filmer-Sankey
First Edition from Atheneum
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in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Blossom Comes Home
by James Herriot
from St. Martin's Press
Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Book Lover's Bucket List
from British Library
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in Great Britain / England (Location: HISMC-BRIT)
$24.95
Brontes at Haworth
by Ann Dinsdale
from Frances Lincoln
for 6th-12th grade
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C. S. Lewis: A Life
by Alister McGrath
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$24.99 $18.00 (1 in stock)
Captain Marryat
by Tom Pocock
from Stackpole Books
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Carrie's War
by Nina Bawden
from J.B. Lippincott Co.
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species
by Walter Karp
from Harper & Row
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Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre
by Robert Van Nutt, Stewart Ross
1st edition from Viking Press
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by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg
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Child's Christmas in Wales
by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
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Collins Guide to Bird Watching
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Colonial Wars Source Book
by Philip J. Haythornthwaite
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$20.00 (1 in stock)
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Dawn Wind
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Destroyers for Great Britain
by Arnold Hague
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$9.00 (1 in stock)
ECL: Book of King Arthur
by Howard Pyle, illustrated by Ron King
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ECL: Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Educator Classic Library #9
by Howard Pyle, illustrated by Don Irwin
Complete and Unabridged Edition from Classic Press
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Edwardian Lady
by Ina Taylor
from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
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$16.00 (1 in stock)
Elizabeth of York
by Nancy Lenz Harvey
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
English Fairy Tales
Calla Editions
by Flora Steel, Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
from Dover Publications
English Weapons & Warfare 449-1660
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$7.50 (1 in stock)
Eyewitness Classics: Robin Hood
by Neil Philip
1st American ed from DK Children
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First Book of England
by Noel Streatfeild, illustrated by Gioia Fiammenghi
from Franklin Watts
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First Lady of the Theatre: Sarah Siddons
by Molly Costain Haycraft
from Kingston House
Biography for 7th-10th grade
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Flight and Adventures of Charles II
World Landmark #38
by Charles Norman, illustrated by C. Walter Hodges
from Random House
for 5th-9th grade
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Frontier Wolf
by Rosemary Sutcliff
1st edition from Dutton Juvenile
for 4th-8th grade
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George MacDonald
by Michael R Phillips
Illustrated Edition from Bethany House
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$18.00 (1 in stock)
George Muller: Faith to Feed Ten Thousand
Heroes for Young Readers
by Renee Meloche
from YWAM Publishing
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Great Britain to 1688 / Great Britain Since 1688
by Maurice Ashley and K.B. Smellie
from University of Michigan Press
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$16.00 (1 in stock)
Half-Crown House
by Helen Ashton
Book Club Edition from Dodd, Mead & Co.
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$12.00 (2 in stock)
Hidden Foe
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
History of the English People - 4 Volume Set
undated from A. L. Burt Company
for Adult
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$45.00 (1 in stock)
History of the English-Speaking Peoples Volume 1
by Winston S. Churchill
from Dodd, Mead & Co.
for 7th-Adult
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How the Heather Looks
by Joan Bodger
Reprint from Living Book Press
for 7th-Adult
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$24.99
Illustrated Wordsworth's Guide to the Lakes
by William Wordsworth, Edited by Peter Bicknell
from Congdon & Weed Inc.
for 9th-Adult
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$14.00 (1 in stock)
In the Belly of an Ox
by Rebecca Bond
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
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Inside-Outside Book of London
by Roxie Munro
from E.P. Dutton & Co.
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Ireland
from Crescent Books
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Jack Archer
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
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James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories
by James Herriot
First Printing from St. Martin's Press
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James Herriot's Yorkshire Revisited
from Michael Joseph
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
James I
Sacred Fool Quartet Volume 1
by Otto Scott
from Chalcedon / Ross House Books
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$16.00
King Arthur and His Knights
World Landmark #5
by Mabel Louise Robinson
from Random House
for 5th-9th grade
in World Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAN)
Kings and Queens of Scotland
by R. L. Mackie, J. Ross
from Geddes & Grosset
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$5.50 (1 in stock)
Lady Jane Grey
Christian Biographies for Young Readers
by Simonetta Carr
from Reformation Heritage Books
for 4th-6th grade
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Last Lion Volumes 1 & 2
by William Manchester
1st edition from Little, Brown & Company
for Adult
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$18.00 (1 in stock)
Last Plantagenets
A History of the Plantagenets Volume 4
by Thomas B. Costain
from Doubleday & Company
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Life of John Newton
by American Missionary Fellowship
from Attic Books
for 10th-Adult
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$9.50
Man Who Made Time Travel
by Kathryn Lasky
First Edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for 3rd-5th grade
2004 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
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Map That Changed the World
by Simon Winchester
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 9th-Adult
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$10.00 (2 in stock)
Mark of the Horse Lord
by Rosemary Sutcliff, illustrated by Charles Keeping
from Oxford University
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Market Square Dog
by James Herriot
from St. Martin's Press
for Kindergarten-5th grade
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Master Skylark
by John Bennett
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 4th-8th grade
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Moses the Kitten
by James Herriot, illustrated by Peter Barrett
from St. Martin's Press
Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-2nd grade
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Mutiny on the Bounty
by Patrick O'Brien
from Walker and Company
for 2nd-4th grade
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Mystery of Stonehenge
by Nancy Lyon
from Raintree
for 2nd-4th grade
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Namesake
by C. Walter Hodges
from G. Bell and Sons, Ltd.
for 7th-10th grade
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Nelson and the Age of Fighting Sail
by Oliver Warner
from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
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Old Wives' Tale
by Arnold Bennett
from Heritage Press
for 10th-Adult
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Oliver Cromwell
by I. E. Levine
from Julian Messner
for 6th-10th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Origins of Political Stability
by J.H. Plumb
from Houghton Mifflin
for 11th-Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Oscar, Cat-About-Town
by James Herriot, illustrated by Ruth Brown
from St. Martin's Press
for Kindergarten-5th grade
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Place to Hang the Moon
by Kate Albus
from Margaret Ferguson Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$17.99
Play's the Thing
by Ruth Turk
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Prince and the Pauper
by Mark Twain, illustrated by William Hatherell
from World Publishing Company
for 5th-10th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Prince and the Pauper
Portland House Illustrated Classics
by Mark Twain, illustrated by Franklin Booth
from Portland House
Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
Queen Elizabeth I: Forging an Empire
by Elizabeth Linington, illustrated by Robert Boehmer
from Kingston House
for 6th-10th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Queen Victoria
World Landmark #37
by Noel Streatfeild
from Random House
for 5th-8th grade
in World Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAN)
Rare Treasure
by Don Brown
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Real Jane Austen
by Paula Byrne
1st edition from HarperTrophy
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$29.99
Rivals in Parliament
by Iris Noble
from Julian Messner
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Robin Hood
by Jane Carruth, Illustrated by Chris Higham
from Award Publications, Limited
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Robin Hood and His Merry Outlaws
Rainbow Classics
by J. Walker McSpadden, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
from World Publishing Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Romance of Tristan and Iseult
by Joseph Bedier (reteller), translated by Hilaire Belloc and Paul Rosenfeld, introduction by Padraic Colum, illustrated by Serge Ivanoff
from Heritage Press
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Royal Faces
by Hugh Clayton
from Thames and Hudson
for 4th-9th grade
in Great Britain / England (Location: HISMC-BRIT)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Rudyard Kipling
by Lord Birkenhead
from Random House
for 11th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
School at Thrush Green
by Miss Read (Mrs. Dora Saint), illustrated by John S. Goodall
First American Edition from Houghton Mifflin
for 10th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Scotland
from Crescent Books
for 4th-Adult
in Great Britain / England (Location: HISMC-BRIT)
Sea and River Pilots
by Nancy Martin
from Terence Dalton Limited
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude
by Louise Borden
1st edition from Margaret K. McElderry Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Ships, Boats & Submarines (Location: HISV-SHIP)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Sea King
by Albert Marrin
from Atheneum
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Sea Life in Nelson's Time
by John Masefield
from Macmillan
for Adult
in Nautical History (Location: VIN-NAUT)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Search for King Arthur
by Christopher Hibbert
1st edition from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett, illustrated by Jill Bauman
from Longmeadow Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
Seven Kings of England
by Geoffrey Trease
from Vanguard Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Great Britain / England (Location: HISMC-BRIT)
Seven Queens of England
by Geoffrey Trease
from Vanguard Press
for 5th-10th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Shakespeare of London
by Marchette Chute
1st edition from E.P. Dutton & Co.
for 6th-12th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Shakespeare's England
by Louis B. Wright
from Harper & Row
for 3rd-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Shropshire Lad
The Living Library
by A. E. Housman, Illustrated by Jeanne Edwards
from World Publishing Company
for 7th-12th grade
in Vintage Poetry (Location: VIN-POET)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Sir Walter Raleigh: Captain and Adventurer
by Nina Brown Baker
1st edition from Harcourt, Brace & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Sovereign Reader
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Spanish Armada
by Jay Williams
from Harper & Row
for 4th-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Splendid Spur
by Arthur Quiller-Couch, illustrated by James Daugherty
1937 printing from Garden City Books
for 6th-10th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Stories of the Covenanters in Scotland for Young People
by Robert Pollok
from Sprinkle Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$20.00 (2 in stock)
Story of Edith Cavell
Signature Books #47
by Iris Vinton, illustrated by Gerald McCann
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
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