Over the last decade, it has been impossible to escape imagery of the Second World War in British culture, politics, and identity. From ‘blitz spirit’ to ‘keep calm and carry on’, it’s become a powerful part of how we see ourselves as a nation during hard times. In this book, Hannah Rose Woods proves that this is not just a modern phenomenon. For centuries, the British have been looking back to an earlier era for inspiration and a sense of national identity.

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It’s a really interesting approach to a history book, starting in the modern day and working backwards. By looking at each preceding era in turn, Woods shows a more complete picture of the eras we have been nostalgic for. It’s a fascinating read, fleshing out the romanticised images we have of the past. She also thoroughly debunks the idea that in doing so she might be ‘rewriting history’, as many historians were accused of during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. She doesn’t shy away from the realities of the past, proving that often nostalgia is just that.

It was also really interesting to see some of the themes that kept occurring. While I think perhaps more could have been done to explore some of them (such as pastoralism and Euro-scepticism) it was nice as a reader to spot them, and some themes – specifically imperialism – were tied together really well through the different chapters.

While this is best described as a history book, I don’t think it provided a lot of new information about British history. What it did provide, though, is a new lens and angle to look at it from, and a much-needed deep dive into how our national identity has been constructed.

I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.