Highly original & magnificent in scope, Ackroyd's latest work discovers the roots of English cultural history in the Anglo-Saxon period, & traces it through the centuries. What does it mean to be English? This dazzling book demonstrates that a quintessentially English quality can be discovered in all forms of English culture, not only in literature but also in painting, music, architecture, philosophy & science. Just as " London: The Biography" guided the reader through the capital city with a mixture of narrative & theme, so " Albion", employing the same techniques, engages the reader with stories & surprises
- from Beowulf to King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table, via Chaucer & Shakespeare, to the Bronte sisters, ' Alice through the Looking Glass' & ' Lord of the Rings'. " Albion" moves from medieval mystery plays to music hall & pantomime; painting is here, with Hogarth & Turner; & music, with Purcell & Vaughan Williams. Even the English obsession with gardening is represented. Witty, provocative & anecdotal, this is Peter Ackroyd at his most brilliant & exuberant.