This study, resulting from a lifetime of detailed research, challenges the very idea of England and what it means to be English. Dr Jones has examined the origins of the sense of English identity that persists today and here reveals a fresh perspective on how it came about. Many leaders have recognized the crucial importance of history in the construction of national identity. Hitler provides an extreme example of this in the 20th century. The possibility that the process of historical reinterpretation attempted in Germany may also have taken place centuries before in England has not, however, until the publication of this work, been properly addressed. With the loss of empire and the concern over Europe, England is in search of a new role. This study explores how events in England's past have affected how its people feel about their country, and its future.