“Thinking of Britain” from Afar Itineraries of British History as Centre and Periphery

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Published: Jun 27, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/historein.39462
Keywords:
British history Global Britain British decline Britain and Europe Britain and the World
Athena Syriatou
Democritus University of Thrace
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9826-7859
Abstract

This article argues that in twentieth-century historiography trends have often placed – and sometimes misplaced – Britain at the centre or the periphery, depending on the historical context and the perspectives of historians themselves, who projected current preoccupations and cultural concerns onto the past. It thus emphasises the role of historiography in shaping perceptions of Britain’s place in the world, highlighting the interplay between centre and periphery and underscoring its prowess and power to still shape the world. Ultimately, it aims to explore the ways in which Britain both constructs and is constructed by the world, with a focus on several key publications that have become pivotal in British historiography.

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Author Biography
Athena Syriatou, Democritus University of Thrace

Dr. Athena Syriatou is Associate Professor of Modern and Contemporary European History in the History and Ethnology Department, Democritus University of Thrace in Greece. She studied English Literature and History at the University of Athens (B.A.) and British and European history at the University College London (UK). She received her Ph.D., from the University College London (1997). She has taught European and British History at the University College London (UK), the University of Crete, the University of Athens and the Hellenic Open University. She has published articles and chapters in books on issues concerning the formation of national and social identity through formal education, on issues concerning the uses of memory and public history, especially in twentieth-century Britain. She has also written a textbook on the History of European Education from 6th to the 20th century for the Hellenic Open University and participated as a writer of textbooks of European history for secondary schools. Her research interests include social and cultural British history, history of nationalism as well as public history and the history of memory.

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