From acclaimed best-selling historian Simon Schama (The Story of the Jews; Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution; A History of Britain) comes the story of Britain as told through its portraits. This unique way of telling history consists of a remarkable range of visually revealing moments: Churchill and his painter, locked in a struggle of stares and glares; a nude John Lennon five hours before his death; a black Othello in the nineteenth century; a surgeon-artist making studies of soldiers with face-wounds from the Battle of the Somme. Linking these tales together is Schama's exploration of how meaning emerges from a series of relationships-between sitter and painter, of course, but also between them both and the present-day viewer. From its best-know portraits, Britain's past and present comes into brilliant focus. Written to accompany a five-part BBC series and a major exhibition at London's National Portrait Gallery, Schama's compelling analysis and story-telling genius bring a whole nation to life, building a collective picture that at once reflects and transforms Britain's image. The Face of Britain is an exemplary and passionate explanation of how individual narratives can be shaped into a cohesive whole.Lavishly illustrated, and indelibly written, The Face of Britain will change how we view this country, seeing something familiar as if for the first time. Read Less