The United Kingdom, Great Britain, the British Isles, and the Queen’s Countries: a plethora of names that suggest uncertainty and disagreement - and the capacity for invention and adaptation. In a year when the Scottish independence referendum is held, Linda Colley analyzes the forces that have united Britain in the past.

She examines the mythology of Britishness and the extent to which it has faded. She discusses the Acts of Union with Wales, Scotland, and Ireland and their limitations, while also analyzing England’s own rifts. Furthermore, she shows how the UK has been shaped by movement: Britons to other countries and continents, as well as the arrival of people, ideas, and influences from abroad.

As acts of union and fragmentation become increasingly relevant to our daily lives and politics, Colley examines how - if at all - the pieces might be put back together and what that might mean.

Based on a 15-episode series by BBC Radio 4.