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Eighteen

The Sunday Times Bestseller: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives

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Eighteen

By: Alice Loxton
Narrated by: Alice Loxton
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About this listen

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

 Europe Great Britain Historical Social Classes & Economic Disparity Sociology

Critic Reviews

I love Alice's work. This book is 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)
Loxton is the leading historian of her generation (Dan Jones, bestselling author of The Templars)
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)
Alice Loxton is the star of her generation . . . the next big thing in history (Dan Snow, historian and author of On This Day in History)
Brilliantly original, wonderfully perceptive and full of rich insights into a deep range of fascinating characters but also the age in which they lived. In this compelling and utterly enchanting book, Alice Loxton has confirmed her place as one of our most exciting and talented young historians (James Holland, bestselling author and historian)
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)
All stars
Most relevant
A great listen and wonderfully spoken by Alice, she the greatest thing in History at the moment. You can feel her enthusiasm coming through the pages and her lovely voice.

Excellent

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I really enjoyed the interesting new information about many familiar historical characters. It is a refreshing new take on historical biographies. Its shortcoming is that the narration was undertaken by the author, and not by a professional voice performer. To me, this was a poor choice. I am accustomed to Audible books being narrated by speaking experts, voice actors. In this case it was clear that the author, while a good historical researcher and writer, was not equally skilled in narration. Just because you wrote it, and you are very enthusiastic about your topic, doesn’t mean you are the best person for the narration job. The presentation could best be described as too damn jolly, unnaturally enthusiastic. Every word was irritatingly emphasised, and it did not sound at all natural. I would be happy to hear this again if a professional voice expert was the narrator.

Interesting new information about many familiar historical characters.

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