The Face of Britain ─ A History of the Nation Through Its Portraits

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.

Simon Schama is Professor of History and Art History at Columbia University and the author many books, including Rough Crossings, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction. He is a cultural essayist for the New Yorker and has written and presented more than thirty documentaries for the BBC, PBS, and the History Channel, including The Power of Art, which won the 2007 International Emmy for Best Arts Programming.