Covering over 2,000 years, The Oxford Dictionary of British History is a handy and invaluable reference work--essential for anyone with an interest in British history. In one compact source, over one hundred specialist contributors describe the people and events that have shaped and defined domestic, political, social, and cultural life in Britain over the past two millennia. From John Locke to Charlie Chaplin; from the disastrous fire of London to the deadly Peterloo Massacre; and from an explanation of the British jury system to a discussion of the causes of the industrial revolution, this is the ultimate source for any fact regarding the history of Britain from 55 BC to the present.