Pegasus

Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Death of Henry VII is the sweeping opening volume of Peter Ackroyd's definitive history of England. It begins at the very dawn of the island's story—before it was even an island—and progresses through the Roman occupation, the Saxon and Norman conquests, and the Middle Ages, concluding with the rise of the Tudor dynasty.

Ackroyd moves away from dry dates and battles to focus on the "soul" of the nation, examining how the English character was forged through its laws, its landscape, and its language. He masterfully blends the grand political narratives of kings and queens with the daily lives of the common people, showing how the "foundation" of modern England was built upon centuries of conflict, innovation, and cultural evolution.