Over the last two decades there has been a steady growth of interest in the study of British history from a genuinely British, as opposed to metropolitan English, perspective. Traditionally British history has been taught as modern English history. This curious dichotomy crept into British historiography during the twentieth century as the result of domestic political tensions and imperial decline. Alexander Murdoch's new book seeks to explain the importance or Irish, Scottish and Welsh history to British history and relate English history to broader British patterns.