The 1930s were an important decade of change for the United Kingdom. This period kicked off with the country in the midst of the Great Depression and ended with it caught in its second world war. In-between, there was a rise of fascism within Britain, a constitutional crisis, a willing abdication, and a mining disaster that would be unparalleled for decades. … [Read more...] about Brit History: Most Important Events in British History of the 1930s
World War II History
The Brit History Fiver – Five of the Royal Air Force’s Most Famous Aircraft
For over 100 years, the Royal Air Force has kept the skies of the United Kingdom safe. First seeing action in World War I, they were an integral part of the nation’s defense when the Luftwaffe attacked in the Battle of Britain. Ever since the RAF has earned an exceptional reputation in the world’s air forces, but that reputation would not be possible without the amazing … [Read more...] about The Brit History Fiver – Five of the Royal Air Force’s Most Famous Aircraft
Brit History: The Nazi Occupation of the Channel Islands
Operation Sea Lion had been Hitler’s grand hope to invade the United Kingdom. Nazi Germany had wanted to ensure it had both sea and air superiority prior to its ground invasion. However, the RAF victory in the Battle of Britain quashed this plan, and the invasion never happened. The farthest the Nazis ever got in their plan was the occupation of the Channel Islands. From … [Read more...] about Brit History: The Nazi Occupation of the Channel Islands
Great Events in British History: Operation Chastise – The Dambusters Raid
Few airborne missions in the history of the Second World War have taken on such an iconic status as that of Operation Chastise, otherwise known as the Dambusters Raid. On the night of 16 May 1943, Royal Air Force Squadron 617 launched a surprise attack on a number of strategic German sites, featuring the pioneering use of new ‘bouncing bombs’, codenamed ‘Upkeeps’. This surprise … [Read more...] about Great Events in British History: Operation Chastise – The Dambusters Raid
Great British Icons: The Hawker Hurricane
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 14 of the Anglotopia Print Magazine in 2019. When a teenage Sydney Camm was building gliders near his home in Windsor, he had no idea that his career as an airplane designer would be instrumental in winning World War II. He designed the Hawker Hurricane, a prop-driven monoplane fighter, that would be the ‘workhorse’ of … [Read more...] about Great British Icons: The Hawker Hurricane
The Fiver – Five Beautiful British World War II Aircraft
While World War I introduced aircraft to combat, World War II demonstrated how important air superiority could be. The alleged superiority of the German Luftwaffe rained bombs down upon London and other cities while their fighter planes sought to further fan the flames of terror. The Royal Air Force answered this viciousness with their own aerial firepower, introducing … [Read more...] about The Fiver – Five Beautiful British World War II Aircraft
RIP Dame Vera Lynn, 1917-2020
Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? Remember how she said that We would meet again Some sunny day? Yes, we do. I can even remember how an album of new orchestrations and duets of her old recordings debuted #3 on the charts on the eve of her hundredth birthday, and I just learned that this would be the third time she had set the record for the oldest artist to hit the Top … [Read more...] about RIP Dame Vera Lynn, 1917-2020
VE Day: The Queen Pays Tribute to her Father in 75th VE Day Anniversary Speech
Queen Elizabeth II has delivered a speech on the 75th anniversary of VE Day from Windsor Castle, her third address to the nation during the coronavirus lockdown. This is only the 6th time she had made a non-Christmas speech to the nation like this. She pays tribute to her father, who was King during World War II. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnxQxHEeiQ4 … [Read more...] about VE Day: The Queen Pays Tribute to her Father in 75th VE Day Anniversary Speech
One Anglophile’s Take on The Bonkers Nazi Titanic film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX1HVonpEPw Yes, you read that correctly. No, this wasn't some kind of belated April Fool's Day thing (and Jonathan isn't a fan of April Fool's Day on the Internet, anyway.) The Nazis made a film about the sinking of the RMS Titanic. And, yes, it was meant as propaganda, although, fortunately, Anti-Semitism does not feature in the film. And, … [Read more...] about One Anglophile’s Take on The Bonkers Nazi Titanic film
Ten of the Most Important British World War II Events
From 1939 to 1945, the world was thrown into a conflict begun by fascist regimes that wanted to impose their will on other nations. At the forefront of the fight against the Axis Powers was the United Kingdom, which entered the war shortly after Nazi Germany invaded Poland. As one of the major Allied Powers throughout the war, Britain had its share of important moments. The … [Read more...] about Ten of the Most Important British World War II Events
From the Anglotopia Magazine: THE LIFE OF A QUEEN – The Princess Elizabeth During Wartime
Editor’s Note: This is the second in an ongoing series about the entire life of Queen Elizabeth II that will be published in the Anglotopia Print Magazine. Each issue of this magazine will feature an article about every aspect of her life. This was the first, published in Issue #12 in 2018. To keep up with the series, please subscribe to the Anglotopia Print Magazine. When … [Read more...] about From the Anglotopia Magazine: THE LIFE OF A QUEEN – The Princess Elizabeth During Wartime
Great British Icons: Land Rover
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Issue #11 of the Anglotopia Print Magazine in 2018. Support great long-form writing about British History, Culture, and travel by subscribing to the Anglotopia Magazine. Every subscription helps keep Anglotopia running and provides us to the opportunity to produce articles like this. You can subscribe here. From the grouse … [Read more...] about Great British Icons: Land Rover
REMEMBERING THE FEW: Top 10 places to Visit for Battle of Britain history
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Issue #11 of the Anglotopia Print Magazine in 2018. Support great long-form writing about British History, Culture, and travel by subscribing to the Anglotopia Magazine. Every subscription helps keep Anglotopia running and provides us to the opportunity to produce articles like this. You can subscribe here. The first military … [Read more...] about REMEMBERING THE FEW: Top 10 places to Visit for Battle of Britain history
Through the Library: Shakespeare’s Country by S.W. Colyer – Beautiful Pictures of Old Stratford Upon Avon and the Surrounding Area
This edition of Through the LIbrary continues our journey through the photographic works of S.W. Colyer, a photographer who captured some of Britain's most iconic places in the 1930s and 40s. Shakespeare's Country focused on Stratford Upon Avon and the surrounding areas, where William Shakespeare spent most of his life (with several stints in London). The book was published … [Read more...] about Through the Library: Shakespeare’s Country by S.W. Colyer – Beautiful Pictures of Old Stratford Upon Avon and the Surrounding Area
Bletchley Park: New Exhibition Report – D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion
Bletchley Park is the home of British codebreaking and a birthplace of modern information technology. It played a major role in World War Two, producing secret intelligence which had a direct and profound influence on the outcome of the conflict. Due to its exceptional historical importance, this nineteenth-century mansion and estate in Buckinghamshire is open to visitors … [Read more...] about Bletchley Park: New Exhibition Report – D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion
CHURCHILL’S CHARTWELL: Exploring Winston Churchill’s Beloved Home in Kent – His Life at Home
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Issue #10 of the Anglotopia Print Magazine in 2018. Support great long-form writing about British History, Culture, and travel by subscribing to the Anglotopia Magazine. Every subscription helps keep Anglotopia running and provides us to the opportunity to produce articles like this. You can subscribe here. Winston Churchill … [Read more...] about CHURCHILL’S CHARTWELL: Exploring Winston Churchill’s Beloved Home in Kent – His Life at Home
Great Britons: William Beveridge – The Architect of Britain’s Welfare State
William Beveridge was the son of a British civil servant working in India, but he was educated in Britain and graduated from Oxford with top honors. He immediately began working with the moderate Fabian socialists to improve the situation of the poor. He was responsible for devising an early scheme for unemployment insurance in 1911, which he later extended in his Beveridge … [Read more...] about Great Britons: William Beveridge – The Architect of Britain’s Welfare State
ABANDONED TYNEHAM: The Dorset Village Lost to Time
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Issue #10 of the Anglotopia Print Magazine in 2018. Support great long-form writing about British History, Culture, and travel by subscribing to the Anglotopia Magazine. Every subscription helps keep Anglotopia running and provides us to the opportunity to produce articles like this. You can subscribe here. It was a typical … [Read more...] about ABANDONED TYNEHAM: The Dorset Village Lost to Time
More than Taunting: A Brief History of Anglo-French Relations
The history between the United Kingdom and France is one that has been fraught with conflict until the late 19th Century. If the term “frenemies” could be applied to countries, it would perhaps be the most accurate description of the relationship the two nations enjoy with one another. It could be said that it finally took threats to both countries to put the conflicts of the … [Read more...] about More than Taunting: A Brief History of Anglo-French Relations
Through the Library: Unspoiled Dorset by Colyer – Beautiful Pictures of Old England
It's no secret around here that I love Dorset. It's a timeless place that I can visit again and again. This edition of Through the Library explores the beautiful old pictures I found in a book about Dorset called Unspoiled Dorset by S.W. Colyer. We've written about Colyer before - he had several photography books from the 1940s. Unspoiled Dorset was published in 1940 and was … [Read more...] about Through the Library: Unspoiled Dorset by Colyer – Beautiful Pictures of Old England
CHRISTMAS IN WARTIME: A Look at How Christmas Was Celebrated in Britain During Both World Wars
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Issue #8 of the Anglotopia Print Magazine. You can support great long-form writing like this about British Travel, History, and Culture by subscribing to the Anglotopia Print Magazine. It costs just $65/year for 4 issues. Each issue is completely ad-free and features high-quality printing, making each issue a bookshelf … [Read more...] about CHRISTMAS IN WARTIME: A Look at How Christmas Was Celebrated in Britain During Both World Wars
A Brief History of Hovis Bread: The Bread That Made This The Most Famous Hill in Britain
Long before there were whole-foods and artisan bakers, there was Hovis. This loaf of ‘brown bread’ had been on almost every British table for more than 100 years, and it is still going strong. Many English people have fond memories of tiny ‘penny’ loaves of Hovis as their daily bread. The loaf and its special flour, enriched with wheat-germ, was invented in the north of England … [Read more...] about A Brief History of Hovis Bread: The Bread That Made This The Most Famous Hill in Britain
Brit History: British Occupations of the 1900s That Are Lost to History
The saying goes that “time marches on.” It’s meant to evoke the idea of progress, but underlying that meaning is what gets left behind. Many jobs become obsolete as technology takes over professions that once required work to be done by hand. Other jobs simply become unnecessary as technology replaced the need to put people in danger. We’ve identified ten jobs from the … [Read more...] about Brit History: British Occupations of the 1900s That Are Lost to History
Great Events in British History: The Battle That Should Have Won The War – Operation Market Garden
Launched on the 17th of September 1944, Operation Market Garden was conceived as the battle to end the Second World War. The plan was sound: to launch a major operation, involving over 30,000 British and American troops, into Holland, thereby creating a route for Allied forces into the German heartlands. If all went well, the Allies would be in Berlin by Christmas 1944. … [Read more...] about Great Events in British History: The Battle That Should Have Won The War – Operation Market Garden
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: Guide to Visiting the Islands for Potato Pie fans – GUERNSEY – visit the island that inspired the story
Editor's Note: This film opened in the UK last Spring but has come to the USA starting today on Netflix. Netflix subscribers can watch the movie from today. I can't wait to sit down and watch it tonight. Visit Guernsey was kind enough to send this guide on visiting the island for fans of the book and now, film. We also published an article earlier this year as well that's a … [Read more...] about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: Guide to Visiting the Islands for Potato Pie fans – GUERNSEY – visit the island that inspired the story
Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
