Biggest Books to Look Out For in 2024 - The Guardian The Books of 2024 - Blackwells 'Loxton is the next big thing in history' - Dan Snow 'A whirlwind of historical energy . One of the brightest new stars of popular history' - Dan Jones At eighteen, your life is full of possibility. You have everything to look forward to - unless you've got the plague . In this unconventional and witty history, award-winning writer and broadcaster Alice Loxton delves into Britain's past, exploring the country though eighteen notable figures at this formative age. From a young Empress Matilda, already changing the fate of nations, to Richard Burton, the rugby-obsessed teenager who grew up in a Welsh mining town, each journey unpicks a different era of Britain. Irreverent and full of fascinating tidbits (Did you know Chaucer began his career as a scantily clad pageboy?), Loxton shows how the way a society treats its young, reveals much about its values and foibles. Seamlessly blending big history with engaging stories of royalty, explorers, writers and entertainers, Eighteen builds a rich mosaic of Britain's past, inviting a journey of discovery. Looking at the role of class, race, and raw ambition, Loxton also asks what lessons we can take for modern Britain - and why the answers might not be what you think.