The Book Club Graham Robb: The Discovery of Britain
Nov 5, 2025
In this engaging discussion, historian Graham Robb, celebrated for his narrative histories, shares insights from his book, The Discovery of Britain. He recounts how a spontaneous bike journey sparked a time-traveling exploration of the UK's history. The conversation reveals his groundbreaking cartographic discoveries, shedding light on Iron Age Britain and the myths surrounding King Arthur. Robb also unpacks the complexities of identity, class, and engagement with historical misconceptions, all while weaving personal anecdotes into a rich tapestry of Britain's past.
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Decoding Ancient British Maps
- Robb decoded five Iron Age maps embedded in Ptolemy's coordinates by adjusting the plotting grid using known town locations.
- The result shows remarkably accurate pre-Roman cartography, especially for northern England.
Iron Age Map Accuracy Surpasses Expectations
- The northern England map within Ptolemy's set is more accurate than any known map until the Renaissance.
- This challenges assumptions that Romans or later periods solely produced precise cartography in Britain.
Romans Didn't Invent Straight Roads
- The belief that straight roads were a Roman invention is false; well-made straight roads existed in the Iron Age.
- Archaeological layers and artifacts show many pre-Roman roads were earlier than Roman constructions.
