The Copybook: Readings in history and literature

1

The Battle of Plassey by Hari Chahan Das

Before Siraj ud-Daulah became Nawab of Bengal in 1756, his grandfather begged him to keep the English sweet, and put no trust in Jafar Ali Khan. If he had only listened...

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2

Attributed to George Morland (1763-1804), via Royal Museums Greenwich and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

A Smuggler and a Gentleman by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

Harry Paulet was going about his unlawful business when he spotted a French fleet slip quietly out of Brest and into the Atlantic.

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3

By Nicholas Pocock (1740–1821), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Seven Years’ War by Clay Lane

Georgian Britain braced for war as relations with France in North America, India and mainland Europe took a turn for the worse.

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4

Pirates at Penzance by Clay Lane

The people of Penzance in Cornwall did not think an Algerian corsair much better than a French warship.

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