History of Treason
The bloody history of Britain through the stories of its most notorious traitors
A History of Treason details British history from 1352 to 1946, covering major historical moments in a fascinating and innovative way, using the history of high treason and deception as its theme.
Appealing to a range of audiences, it covers more than 650 years of momentous history through the use of both famous and lesser known events which shaped Britain. Using original documents and detailed research undertaken by The National Archives' record specialists, it will cover moments in history which led to fundamental changes in eras. It will also include unique discoveries from these archives, uncovering mysteries and stories of how dealing with treason have brought about the changes which have influenced and shaped Britain throughout the centuries. Among these are:
the trial and execution of Anne Boleyn on the orders of her husband, Henry VIII
several major acts of sedition, including the Gunpowder Plot and the revolution plotted in the Cato Street conspiracy
the evidence brought against Sir Roger Casement, executed at Pentonville and his remains later exhumed and given a state funeral in Ireland
the trial and execution of the William Joyce who, as 'Lord Haw-Haw', broadcast Nazi propaganda from Berlin during the Second World War
The book covers many stories that explore the nature of treason and how the crown and state reacted to it - from the introduction of the Treason Act in 1352 right through to the twentieth century.
Written by experts from among the historians at the National Archives, the book is copiously illustrated with images from the unrivalled collections of The National Archives.
TNA's team of authors:
Chris Day is Head of Modern Domestic Records at The National Archives, where he has worked since 2013. An expert in the records of the Home Office, Chris is interested in popular politics, protest and resistance, and local government in Britain and the Caribbean in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Dr Daniel Gosling is Principal Legal Records Specialist at The National Archives, expert in the records created by the central law courts and the litigants bringing cases into these courts. His PhD (University of Leeds, 2016) examined statute interpretation in the late medieval and early modern periods.
Dr Neil Johnston is Head of Early Modern Records at The National Archives, specialising in the political, financial, and constitutional histories of Britain and Ireland in the seventeenth century. Awarded a PhD by University College Dublin in 2012, he is a co-investigator on the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland project.
Dr Euan Roger is Principal Medieval Specialist at The National Archives, specialising in the records of medieval and Tudor government and the central law courts, with a particular interest in administrative, social, medical, and material history. His work has featured in publications including TIME Magazine, the Guardian, and The Times.