Coastline

The stunning new book from the host of BBC 2's Villages by the Sea

In Britain, we are surrounded by our coast. It shapes us physically, but it's more than just a place where the land meets the sea. Far from being at the margins of national interests, the coast, and its history, has always been at the core of the British people's most important endeavours and central to era-defining national events.

From artefacts lost by hunter-gatherers in a land beneath the sea to the remains of bustling medieval ports, remnants of ancient fortifications to the lingering scars of great industry, our coastline is indelibly imprinted with the traces of times gone by. Archaeologist and presenter Ben Robinson takes the reader on a journey through Britain's coastal heritage and stories of our past, rediscovering the momentous ways our coastline has impacted our history and continues to influence our nation today.

At once a compelling historical exploration and charming celebration, Coastline is a story of place, people, history and identity, all forged beside the crumbling rock, windswept beaches and pounding waves of the sea.