Eighteen

A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives

By: Alice Loxton

Narrated by: Alice Loxton

Read by the author, Alice Loxton.

Biggest books to look out for in 2024 – The Guardian

'Loxton is the next big thing in history' – Dan Snow

At eighteen, your life is full of of what-ifs and why-nots. You have everything to look forward to – unless you’ve got the plague.

From a young Elizabeth Tudor, the orphan facing deadly intrigue at court, to a teenage Richard Burton, the rugby-obsessed son of a Welsh miner, historian Alice Loxton explores Britain’s past through the lives of eighteen figures at this crucial age.

How do you make a living in Georgian London with no arms or legs? What would you do if a world war interrupted your university studies? With plenty of wit and insight, Eighteen invites readers to join an eclectic cast of young Britons across the nation and throughout its history, to find out what makes us who we are.

Filled with fascinating stories of royalty, explorers, writers and entertainers, Eighteen asks what lessons we can learn for modern Britain.

'A whirlwind of historical energy . . . one of the brightest new stars of popular history' – Dan Jones

©2024 Alice Loxton (P)2024 Macmillan Publishers International Limited

Critic reviews

Smart, funny and should definitely be on your bookshelf (Greg James, BBC Radio 1 presenter)

Utterly, utterly brilliant. Fizzing with energy, wit and insight (Tracy Borman, bestselling author of Thomas Cromwell)

Riveting. A totally original concept, executed with flair and irrepressible enthusiasm (Jack Chesher, bestselling author of London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers)

Fascinating. Bursting with ideas and images. Loxton has the novelist's skill of seeing the world through her characters' eyes, and the historian's accuracy of vision (Philippa Gregory, bestselling author of Normal Women)

Entertaining, exciting and engaging. Eighteen is the story of Britain through the lens of the lives of the youth and that is exactly what we needed (Estelle Paranque, author of Blood, Fire and Gold)

A brilliantly original concept executed with wit and imagination. Loxton's approach is fresh, contemporary, full of exuberance but never at the cost of scholarship. If this can’t make eighteen-year-olds want to read history, I am not sure what could . . . (Lucy Moore, author of Lady Fanshawe’s Receipt Book)

Alice Loxton heads the charge of an exciting new generation of historians (Jessie Childs, author of The Siege of Loyalty House)

Vivid, exciting, vibrant, a world of youth brought to original dizzying life, Eighteen is full of magnificent characters and fascinating history and Alice is a thrilling guide (Kate Williams, historian and author of Rival Queens)

An engaging and insightful look into the lives of some of our key cultural figures at an important turning point, or rite of passage, closing the distance of centuries (Amy License, historian and author of Tudor Roses)

A unique approach to British history through the vibrant eyes of its youth (Hayley Nolan, historian and bestselling author of Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies)

Simply a joy to read. With wit, flair and keen intelligence, Loxton reminds us that young people have always faced a perilous world – and have prevailed with grit, grace and resilience. A uniquely hopeful and inspiring book, Eighteen will delight readers young and old (Leah Redmond Chang, author of Young Queens)

So well researched!

Of course, Alice Loxton is an expert and so creative and engaging, this book couldn’t help but be a success! I enjoyed her narration as well as she spoke so passionately about a subject she has researched and written extensively about! Well done Alice!

Great opportunity to find out the real truth in people’s lives

Very good, very interesting, great production, Alice is very clever in connecting us to famous and not to famous ( well to me anyway) thank you for investing your time with us. Keep up the excellent work

A unique look into the past

An inspirational look at historical figure at the ages of 18, some already accomplished and some yet to be. I thought it was a truly unique way to present a comparison of the coming of age time for these historical figures. It read like a narrative history, deepening the picture in your mind.
Alice- pay no attention to the 1-star review given earlier for this book. That person was looking for a dry boring read and were disappointed that they didn’t find it with your book! From a 40 year old who is still 18, thanks for the refresh in mindset!

History made fun!

I was excited to read this book after following Alice (the author) on Instagram and watching her history videos.
-She chooses 17 important people in history and looks at their lives leading up to their 18th year. Some I’d never heard of but now I want to know more! Some like Queen Elizabeth I, I knew a little bit about but got a much better look at her youth close-up.
-In between each chapter is a fun, fictional, vignette of interactions between some of the characters.

Alice reads the book herself, which was a real delight to hear her enthusiasm. I’m going to listen to the book again because there were so many compelling details, and I want to remember them better.

If you are at all interested in the history of England, and you enjoy learning about people on a more personal level, this book is for you.

Worthy Read

Alice does it again, this time taking us through the lives of 18 years olds who go on to change the world in some way. While my classically trained historian side of me did not like the dinner party or her moments of conjecture, this stories are interesting and shed light on some already interesting stories. Well done!

A great fun read!

A great fun read by Alice, see these important historical characters in a new light!