A HIGHWORTH author who has been penning books for more than 30 years has published his latest offering – a compelling account of the history of Britain.

Seventy-year-old Hugh Williams is spending his retirement trying to help tackle the often-repeated problem that most people leave school knowing little about British history.

And for the past 18 months he has turned his mountain of notes into a brilliantly readable history of this sceptred isle, from before the Roman invasion to the present day.

Father-of-five Hugh said: “This book goes back a long way. Over 30 years ago my wife and I decided to teach our children at home. I taught them history, which was a subject I thoroughly enjoyed.

“I had made all these notes and I thought it would be a good way of putting them to good use.

“My aim is to encourage people to be interested in British history. Because the history curriculum is seldom taught in chronological order, pupils never get to understand the unfolding story that makes up the history of these islands.”

Before he retired, just over two years ago, Hugh was a successful chartered accountant. During that time he wrote many books on various business topics that aimed to explain in simple language the basic facts that people need to know in terms of taxation, business law and management.

“My previous writing involved making business language easier for people to understand, which is a useful skill to have when writing about history,” he said.

When asked about his favourite period of British history, the erudite author said: “I think all periods of British history are interesting. I’m particularly fond of the Tudor period. I think most people are interested in the Tudors, it’s a very rich historical period.

“When I retired I thought it would be important to have something to keep me busy, and I absolutely love writing, though you have to be quite disciplined.”

The 268 page book has been written in easy bullet-point style, so it can be read quickly without having to wade through paragraphs of verbiage. It also comes with a handy bookmark showing the dates of British monarchs since 1066.

The book sells for £15 - £18 if ordered by post - and is published by St Edward’s Press Ltd. To order a copy, log on to www.stedwardspress.co.uk or email Hugh on hugh@hwbts.co.uk.