Synopses & Reviews
What does Roman Britain mean to us now? How were its physical remains rediscovered and made sense of? How has it been reimagined, in story and song and verse? Sometimes on foot, sometimes in a magnificent, if not entirely reliable, VW camper van, Charlotte Higgins sets out to explore the ancient monuments of Roman Britain. She explores the land that was once Rome's northernmost territory and how it has changed since the years after the empire fell. Under Another Sky invites us to see the British landscape, and British history, in an entirely fresh way: as indelibly marked by how the Romans first imagined and wrote, these strange and exotic islands, perched on the edge of the known world, into existence.
Review
“Beautifully crafted. The beauty of this book is not just in the elegant prose . . . It is in the sympathy that she shows for the myth-makers.” —Peter Stothard,
The TimesReview
"[Higgin's] analyses are often supplemented by excellent diversions covering a variety of topics, including thehistoriography of Roman Britain, the ethic makeup of Roman legions, and the depth of Christianpenetration into the British population. Historians will continue to debate the Roman influence, but Higgins makes a convincing argument that Britain would be a very different place without that influence." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"A delightful, deeply informed recounting of her journeys across Britain in search of its ancient Roman past. A thoroughly researched, elegantly written history." Kirkus (Starred Review)
Review
" weaves Britain's history and contemporary landscape together into a complex and fascinating account that is part travelogue, part history and wholly charming." Shelf Awareness
Synopsis
Shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize, the captivating and haunting exploration of the remnants of an empire
About the Author
Charlotte Higgins studied Classics at Balliol College, Oxford. She is the chief arts writer for The Guardian.