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Which Is the Most Exciting/Interesting Period in British History?

Hello.

I'm putting this in this forum as it isn't academically relevant to the History peeps and it is a bit more in-depth than General Discussion fodder (as GD is essentially Chat making a bit more of an effort :p:

).

Ok, in your opinion, what time period would you say is the most exciting or interesting in British history? When did all the good stuff happen? When did all the bad stuff happen? When did all the stuff happen that you would be so intrigued by it that you would sit and pour endlessly over books about it? (NB. I am not selling (or writing) books!).

Seriously though, I am interested in what people think. It can be between any year to any year. What did you enjoy studying at school/university perhaps? What bored the crap out of you? When did all the best things happen in Britain?

There is a lot of talk these days as to whether there is enough British history in schools, and it just occured to me what would teacher's teach that is most exciting and filled with the most events? I would like everybody else's opinion on the matter.

So; which is the most exciting/interesting period in British history? And why?

Reply 1

reggie_boy

For me the most interesting time in British history is the Battle of Britain, I have read numerous books on this subject and have been totally amazed by the courage of ordinary people who, in times of crisis found the courage to go that extra mile. The sense that as a community whatever is thrown at them they will just try to continue as before just beggars belief. (A sense of this I suppose you could relate to with 7/7, the news coverage showing everone pulling together to cope with what was evolving. then the next day Billy banker or Mary marketing exec hopping onto the tube as though the previous day never happened).

the worst thing in British history happens every new year when pointless celebs get given honours for being.... well pointless

Reply 2

justbrowsing

4

The Tudor period. However, in years to come, I'm sure the present members of the Monarchy will be deemed just as interesting, when you consider the events of the past half a century or so.

Reply 3

Champagne Breakfast

16

19th century when we started conquering the world. Got boring after that.

Reply 4

Socrates

17

Its a toughie. I'm not particularly a fan of British history as is...but I'd say the war of Roses (15th-16th century) is probably the most interesting IMO.

Reply 5

Weejimmie

1

zhivago

Ok, in your opinion, what time period would you say is the most exciting or interesting in British history? When did all the good stuff happen? When did all the bad stuff happen?

Good or bad for who? For the upper classes the industrial revolution was very exciting and wealth-producing. For the working class and small manufacturers- nearly everyone- it was one of the most horrible in the whole of history.

So; which is the most exciting/interesting period in British history? And why?

"May you live in interesting times." -old chinese curse.

Reply 6

gideon2000uk

9

I rather like the regin of George III, taking us from the loss of America to the start of the Napoleonic Wars, with the fall of the Fox-North coalition and the madness of King George in the middle.

Reply 7

SolInvictus

11

I would have to say the Restoration to middle 1700's. It was the time when Britain as we know it began. The patriotic spirit of 'Britishness' began, and much of the culture and identity began in this period.

Reply 8

ForeverIsMyName

15

I think now is the most exciting time in British history. You can go out onto the streets and see people for yourself shaping the world in front of your very eyes.

I hope you all intend to be those people :biggrin:

Reply 9

KerriT

9

What is exciting is very subjective. For me, umm... so much History is exciting! I love the futility of the the First World War.

Reply 10

JonD

5

Stuff involving steam engines is interesting, as is world conquest. The 19th century was great because it involved steam engines and world conquest!

Though, if I could go back in time and watch something in particular happen, it'd be the Battle of Jutland, Trafalgar or perhaps the last battle in the War of the Roses. I'd be interested to see if Blackadder really did accidentally kill Richard and let Henry escape.

I know it's rather a long period of history, but ot of th time from the War of the Roses, right through the Tudor period, to Guy Fawkes and on to Civil War and Oliver Cromwell's time.

If I had to pick a smaller period out of that, it would just be the Tudor times.

Reply 12

fr browne

11

Industrial Revolution, I mean it was the only revolution weve had bar Cromwell and it generall set up the foundation for modern Britain - encompassed with the Empire I think that was Britain at its most powerful too.

Reply 13

JonD

5

fr browne

Industrial Revolution, I mean it was the only revolution weve had bar Cromwell and it generall set up the foundation for modern Britain - encompassed with the Empire I think that was Britain at its most powerful too.

What about the Glorious Revolution and the rise and fall of Fabian socialism?

The civil war.

Around the times the Romans came was quite interesting imo.

Reply 16

kb500

zhivago

Hello.

I'm putting this in this forum as it isn't academically relevant to the History peeps and it is a bit more in-depth than General Discussion fodder (as GD is essentially Chat making a bit more of an effort :p:

).

Ok, in your opinion, what time period would you say is the most exciting or interesting in British history? When did all the good stuff happen? When did all the bad stuff happen? When did all the stuff happen that you would be so intrigued by it that you would sit and pour endlessly over books about it? (NB. I am not selling (or writing) books!).

Seriously though, I am interested in what people think. It can be between any year to any year. What did you enjoy studying at school/university perhaps? What bored the crap out of you? When did all the best things happen in Britain?

There is a lot of talk these days as to whether there is enough British history in schools, and it just occured to me what would teacher's teach that is most exciting and filled with the most events? I would like everybody else's opinion on the matter.

So; which is the most exciting/interesting period in British history? And why?

I would say that the period encompassing the empire and industrial revolution is probably the most interesting period in British history for me. This is when modern politics and economics as we know them today were born and also the time in which Britain came to the fore in the world.

Reply 17

Kew

16

The entire medieval period (roughly dating from the beginning of the so-called 'Dark Ages' right through to the English Reformation). I find it absolutely fascinating, for various objective and subjective reasons. Have read loads about it, for fun and general interest as well as for my courses at university. For my two dissertations this year, I'm doing one on the will of Elizabeth Montagu, countess of Salisbury (who died in 1415), and the other on the connections and relationships between pre-Reformation Christmas carols and contemporary social customs/ceremonies.

To be honest I find it hard to see how anyone could possibly prefer modern history. Having done my entire two years of GCSE solely on 20th century history, it was such a breath of fresh air to look at the Wars of the Roses at AS, you'd find it hard to believe!

I don't know why, but even something I would find dull today, or anywhen in the modern period I suppose (such as economics), is more interesting to me when you look back a few hundred years. Generally, the older something is, the more interesting it is...though obviously you have to draw a line somewhere. Not that I don't like ancient history though, because I do!