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Chronology of Modern Britain

Published chronologies and guides

The following is a very brief listing of works which chronicle modern Britain since the beginning of the twentieth century. Further general chronologies are cited at British history reference sources. Many more works on modern British history are held by the Library and are listed on the Integrated Catalogue.

For readers using the Library's St Pancras Reading Rooms, the Literature Resource Center online database contains a literary and historical timeline, and The Annual Register provides a very detailed full text year-by-year analysis from 1758 onwards. Internet chronologies include the BBCi Timelines, Guardian Century, Chris Hobbs' Britain and the World since 1953, and Factmonster.

  • Brewer's dictionary of 20th-century phrase and fable. London: Cassell, 1996. Shelfmark: HLR 423.1
  • Rupert Lee, The eureka! moment: 100 key scientific discoveries of the 20th century. London: The British Library. Shelfmark: YC.2002.a.13861. Also available from the Online Bookshop.
  • Alan and Veronica Palmer, The Pimlico chronology of British history [from 250,000 B.C. to the present day]. London: Pimlico, 1996. Shelfmark: HLR 941
  • Pat Rogers (ed.), The Oxford illustrated history of English literature. Oxford: Clarendon, 1987. Shelfmark: YH.1987.b.265
  • Stephen Van Dulken, Inventing the 20th Century: 100 inventions that shaped the world. London: The British Library, 2000. Shelfmark: (B) BF 482. Also available from the Online Bookshop.
  • Neville Williams, The Modern world, 1901-1998. Oxford: Helicon, 1999. Shelfmark: YC.2000.b.930

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