Contrary to received wisdom, the British are not an insular people in the conventional sense - far from it. For most of… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Postcolonial critics are, I suspect, wrong when they argue that the mass of British people still mourn the loss of empire. But… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
In the 16th and 17th centuries, most people in Britain lived in small village communities. They knew all their neighbours. They dressed… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Now, as in the past, rank is closely associated with modes of representation and display: with making an ordered arrangement of people… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
In the last quarter of the 20th century, Britons have been understandably obsessed with the problem of having too little power in… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Both Conservative and Labour politicians in Britain are rather too fond of praising the relative 'classlessness' of American society and of urging… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
It is hard to convince people that you mean them well if you are looking at them down the barrel of a… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Recognising that an ostentatious cult of heroism and state service served an important propaganda function for the British elite does not mean,… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
In virtually every Continental state at this time, aristocracies had to live with the risk that their property might be pillaged or… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Empire in the past was always a far harsher and much more accident-prone business than conventional history books imply. And the costs… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Britain, like other European states, is not and never will again be in the top-world-power league, so its male leaders can afford to play… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Hillary Clinton is tough, clever, and formidably well briefed, and has been politically ambitious all her adult life. — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
In Great Britain, woman was subordinate and confined. But at least she was also safe. — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Once conscription was introduced during the First World War, and once Britain's wars ceased being confined to the empire or to continental Europe and… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Virtually every war fought since the Act of Union had gone badly at some stage, but before 1783 none had ended in defeat. Nor… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Traditionally, royal females who have not had the luck to become queens regnant have been granted very limited roles. They have been expected to… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Never fly to the U.S. the day before Thanksgiving or the weekend after because every airport is guaranteed to be crammed to bursting with… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Men and women do not live by bread alone. They also need sustaining ideas. — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
High-level political wives are by no means new. In the 18th and 19th centuries, when patricians dominated British political life, it was common for… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Governments should encourage and facilitate the teaching of history, but one does not want them to be able to dictate, for political or partisan… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Although Britain has, since 1653, had nothing approaching a single, codified constitution, it did for a very long time possess a broad cult of… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
Even at its most powerful, Britain always needed alliances with other European states. There would almost certainly have been no British victory at Waterloo,… — Linda Colley Copy Share Image
