Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

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121

The First Steam Whistle

After an accident at a level crossing, the bosses of the Leicester and Swannington Railway acknowledged that drivers needed more than lung power.

122

The Surrender of Vercingetorix

As Rome’s grip on Gaul tightened, one man still dared to defy them.

123

Seeds of Empire

The British Empire may be said to have started when Elizabethan importers got into a fight with the Dutch over the price of pepper.

124

Sing Us a Song of Zion

The Sultan of Aceh in northern Sumatra welcomed his guests from Christian England with an unexpected gesture of friendship.

125

Isabella Calls Time

The Despensers ensured that King Edward II never left their sight, but it was what Queen Isabella was doing that should have worried them.

126

The Battle of Bannockburn

Edward II hoped to outshine his famous father by bringing Scotland under the English crown, but Robert the Bruce was ready for him.