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‘Loxton is the next big thing in history.’Dan Snow
‘A whirlwind of historical energy… One of the brightest new stars of popular history’ Dan Jones

At eighteen, your life is full of possibility. You have everything to look forward to – unless you’ve got the plague…

In this unconventional and witty history, award-winning writer and broadcaster, Alice Loxton, delves into Britain’s past, exploring the country though eighteen notable figures at this formative age.

From a young Empress Matilda, already changing the fate of nations, to Richard Burton, whose childhood was misspent in a Welsh mining village, each journey unpicks a different era of Britain.

Irreverent and full of fascinating tidbits (Did you know Chaucer began his career as a scantily clad waiter?), Loxton shows how the way a society treats its young, reveals much about its values and foibles.Seamlessly blending big history with engaging stories of royalty, peasants, writers and entertainers, Eighteen builds a rich mosaic of Britain’s past, inviting a journey of discovery.

Looking at the role of class, race, and raw ambition, Loxton also asks what lessons we can take for modern Britain – and why the answers might not be what you think.