Based on the Oxford Companion to British History, this dictionary is a compact reference work on all aspects of the history of Britain from 55 BC to the present day. In more than 3600 entries, over 100 specialist contributors describe the people and events that have shaped and defined domestic, political, social, and cultural life in Britain over the past two millennia. The entries cover a wide breadth of subject matter including: people - philosophers, writers, composers, politicians, actors, royalty; events - disasters, diseases; domestic history - legal issues and technical terms; newspapers and periodicals; sport and leisure; scholarship and education; and local history - counties, towns and cities.