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A History of Britain in 21 Paintings
  • Published: 16 February 2027
  • ISBN: 9780241836378
  • Imprint: Viking Non Fiction
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $70.00

A History of Britain in 21 Paintings

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An illuminating history of Britain in 21 paintings by bestselling historian Alice Loxton

In this lively and illuminating book, bestselling historian Alice Loxton travels across Britain in search of twenty-one extraordinary paintings.

From an image carried by St Augustine when he arrived on our shores in 597AD and a glittering portrait of a Tudor queen to Stubbs’ majestic rendering of Whistlejacket and L.S. Lowry’s depictions of daily life in Bolton, each painting in this transformative history illuminates key moments in our island's story. These are tales of foundation, revolution, upheaval and resilience.

Along the way, Loxton visits locations that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary works of art: a winding riverbank, a local supermarket, a secret mountain quarry, a bustling hospital. She is joined by a rich cast of characters, including conservators, pub locals and a fearsome dragon, and discovers the stories behind some of Britain's most fascinating myths (who really was St George? Did the people of the Middle Ages think the world was flat? What was the Pineapple Craze? Why do Scots wear tartan?).

This is a sweeping, joyful history that will inspire you to explore the wonders of Britain and change the way you look at paintings for ever.

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'An entertaining, illuminating tour of British history filled with delightful stories, witty anecdotes and an abundance of remarkable paintings' Terry Deary

'A champion of British heritage in full voice. Join the most enthusiastic of tour guides, Alice Loxton, as she highlights the profound visual histories to be found in every corner of the land' Luke Sherlock

‘A glittering jewel-box of a book . . . Alice Loxton guides us not only through national history, but also the amazing stories of the nation’s most enduring art-works and their preservation. Delightful, engaging, packed with surprising by-ways and endlessly illuminating.’ Sinclair McKay
  • Published: 16 February 2027
  • ISBN: 9780241836378
  • Imprint: Viking Non Fiction
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $70.00
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About the author

Alice Loxton

Alice Loxton is a bestselling author, historian and presenter, with more than three million followers on social media (@history_alice). She is passionate about bringing history to new audiences and has worked with organisations including the National Trust, the Royal Academy, English Heritage, the National Gallery, Tate, the King’s Foundation and 10 Downing Street. Loxton judged the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2025 and the Art Fund Museum of the Year Award in 2026. She is the author of three bestselling books, including Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England’s Lost Queen, for which she was a winner of a Somerset Maugham Award, and Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives, which was named Blackwell’s Book of the Year in 2024.
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Praise for A History of Britain in 21 Paintings

A champion of British heritage in full voice… Join the most enthusiastic of tour guides, Alice Loxton, as she highlights the profound visual histories to be found in every corner of the land.

Luke Sherlock, author of Forgotten Churches

An entertaining, illuminating tour of British history filled with delightful stories, witty anecdotes and an abundance of remarkable paintings

Terry Deary, author of A History of Britain in Ten Enemies

Loxton brings the past to life with wit, wonderment and an irrepressible curiosity. History has never been such fun!

Ruby Gray, historian and presenter (@too.long.didnt.readd)

A delightful romp through more than one thousand years of British art and history

Elizabeth Goldring, author of Holbein: Renaissance Master

Alice Loxton has a brilliant talent for digging out history's most extraordinary stories and bringing them to life. This is a fascinating journey through Britain’s past, told in her characteristically engaging and witty style. Coming to the end, you are left wanting 21 more!

Jack Chesher, author of London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers

A glittering jewel-box of a book. From exquisite Dark Ages gospels to a sacred white horse, from the fogs of Claude Monet to LS Lowry’s football visions, via Queen Elizabeth’s rainbow and the unearthly light and science of Joseph Wright of Derby, Alice Loxton guides us not only through national history, but also the amazing stories of the nation’s most enduring art-works and their preservation. Delightful, engaging, packed with surprising by-ways and endlessly illuminating.

Sinclair McKay, author of Dad's Army

Absolutely brilliant! Loxton triumphs again with this dazzling history of Britain and its art. Fascinating, superbly researched, beautifully written, this is a majestic book

Kate Williams, author of Regina: A New History of Women and Power

Alongside landscapes by artists such as Monet, Lowry and Turner, Alice Loxton uses ancient manuscripts, medieval maps, church wall paintings and even pub signs as windows onto our island’s past. Along the way, she brings to life not only the people who created these works but also the conservators and custodians who have cared for them. Warm, curious and full of wit, this is a history of great scope, brought vividly to life and delivered with considerable panache. It’s a book that will make you look at Britain and the artworks that tell its story in a completely new way.

Andrew Ziminski, author of Church Going

Full of warmth and humour, A History of Britain in 21 Paintings is a jewel box of historical narratives and the ideal book to press into the hands of friends and family members alike

Flora Carr, author of The Tower

The perfect companion ... a beautifully fresh concept, executed with Loxton's trademark curiosity, enthusiasm and scholarship.

Lucy Moore, historian and author of In Search of Us

A sumptuous, glittering treasure trove of a book laced with clarity and warmth – reading this is like being led through an art gallery by a friend, stepping into history through the portals of the paintings and objects she reveals. Brilliantly and lightly told, filled with wonder and endlessly enjoyable, Alice Loxton is a national treasure like the paintings she uncovers.

Emily Hauser, author of Mythica