The rise of James VI & I: when Britain went global

Summary

History Extra Podcast Summary: "The Rise of James VI & I: When Britain Went Global"

Release Date: April 29, 2025
Host: James Osborne
Guest: Professor Anna Whitelock

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1. Introduction to James VI & I’s Ascension

The episode opens with James Osborne introducing Professor Anna Whitelock and her new book, The Sun Rising, which delves into the transformative period of James I’s reign and the dawn of a global Britain.

Key Discussion Points:

• End of the Tudor Dynasty: Elizabeth I’s death without an heir led to a precarious succession scenario.
• James I’s Claim: Despite various claimants, James I emerged as the most credible successor, ensuring a smooth transition.

Notable Quote:

James Osborne [03:00]: "Elizabeth is celebrated as one of the greatest Britons, but she failed on the fundamental requirement of monarchy to preserve and pass on the succession."

2. The Unification of England and Scotland

A significant focus is placed on James I’s unique position as a Scottish king ascending to the English throne, an unprecedented event given the historical animosity between the two nations.

Key Discussion Points:

• Historic Enmity: England and Scotland had a long history of conflict, making James's rise a monumental shift.
• James’s Vision: He aimed to create a union between England and Scotland, envisioning an inevitable merger into what would become the United Kingdom.

Notable Quote:

Anna Whitelock [07:52]: "James sees the union as geographically inevitable; England and Scotland are part of the same aisle."

3. Challenges to the Union and Parliamentary Resistance

James I's ambition for a unified Great Britain faced significant opposition, particularly from the English Parliament and societal prejudices against the Scots.

Key Discussion Points:

• English Superiority Complex: The English perceived themselves as the dominant partner and feared Scottish influence.
• Parliamentary Obstinacy: Despite James’s declarations, Parliament resisted the full realization of a political union.

Notable Quote:

Anna Whitelock [08:17]: "The English see themselves as the superior partner and fear the Scots taking their jobs, fostering a dismissive attitude."

4. James I: A Forward-Thinking Monarch

James I is portrayed as a visionary leader, ahead of his time, focusing on diplomacy and peace rather than military conquest.

Key Discussion Points:

• Peace Over War: Understanding the financial and social limitations, James prioritized peace and diplomatic relations.
• Dynastic Strategy: Utilizing his children’s marriages to foster peace and unity across Christian Europe.

Notable Quote:

Anna Whitelock [11:02]: "James was a man ahead of his times... he could establish his reputation not through winning battles, but through brokering peace."

5. Establishing Britain’s Maritime Presence

The episode explores Britain’s evolving maritime capabilities during James I’s reign, challenging the notion of Britain's inherent status as a maritime superpower.

Key Discussion Points:

• Naval Development: Efforts to rebuild and strengthen the navy were crucial for establishing trade and defense.
• Trading Rivalries: Competition with established powers like Portugal, Spain, and the Dutch shaped Britain’s maritime strategies.

Notable Quote:

Anna Whitelock [20:42]: "Sir Thomas Smith was involved with both the East India Company and the Plymouth Company, showcasing the intertwined nature of trade and exploration."

6. Britain in the Global Context

Anna Whitelock emphasizes that Britain was still emerging on the global stage during James I’s reign, with significant contributions from explorers and traders rather than solely from the monarchy.

Key Discussion Points:

• Emerging Trade Networks: Establishment of trading companies like the East India Company laid the groundwork for future expansion.
• Cultural Shifts: Increased global interactions broadened British perspectives and influenced cultural developments.

Notable Quote:

Anna Whitelock [27:16]: "London becomes a key character in the book, bustling with ships and trade, reflecting the widening horizons of the British people."

7. Legacy and Impact of James I’s Reign

The conversation concludes with reflections on James I’s contributions and the lasting impact of his reign on Britain’s position in the world.

Key Discussion Points:

• Foundation-Laying: James I set critical foundations for Britain's future expansion, despite not being the sole architect.
• Dynastic Continuity: Establishing the Stuart dynasty, though fraught with ensuing conflicts, was pivotal for subsequent historical developments.

Notable Quote:

Anna Whitelock [32:06]: "Britain was in a stronger position after James’s reign, having begun to trade more widely outside of Europe and establishing colonies in the New World."

8. Final Thoughts

Professor Whitelock highlights the importance of viewing Britain’s history through a broader, global lens, recognizing the interconnectedness of different regions and cultures during this transformative period.

Key Discussion Points:

• Global Perceptions: Britain was being discussed and perceived worldwide, not just within Europe.
• Series of Vignettes: The book aims to make the unfamiliar aspects of this era more accessible and relatable to modern audiences.

Notable Quote:

Anna Whitelock [34:31]: "The book is intended to be a series of vignettes, looking at Britain abroad and making the unfamiliar more familiar."

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Conclusion

In this enlightening episode, Professor Anna Whitelock provides a comprehensive analysis of James I’s reign, illustrating how his policies and vision laid the groundwork for Britain’s emergence as a global power. Through diplomatic finesse, strategic marriages, and fostering trade, James I navigated the complexities of unifying England and Scotland while positioning Britain on the world stage. This nuanced portrayal challenges traditional narratives, highlighting the interplay between monarchy, Parliament, and burgeoning global ambitions.

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Transcript

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[Anna Whitelock]

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Welcome to the History Extra Podcast. Fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC History Magazine. Was Elizabeth the first holding England back from establishing itself on the global stage? Why was it James, the king of Scotland, who succeeded her? And how successful was his quest for peace? In her new book, the Sun Rising, professor Anna Whitelock explores how the accession of the new king and the arrival of the Jacobean era tilted the nation's gaze towards the future. James Osborne spoke to her to find out more.

[James Osborne]

Anna the book is a fascinating exploration of how James I's kingdom becomes a global power. But before we delve into that aspect of his reign, I wanted to frame it with some context. Why Is it James I who inherits the throne and what is the state of the kingdom he inherits?

[Anna Whitelock]

Yes, it's, of course, the end of the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth, after a very long reign, dies without an heir. And for a long time she's under pressure to name a successor, but she actually said, you know, as soon as I would name an heir, attention would immediately turn to the sunrise rising. So she doesn't. She doesn't name an heir and the most credible successor. Even though there's lots of talk about potential claimants both at home and abroad, Philip of Spain is considering a Spanish claimant. And of course, there's a real sense that Catholics want someone who's determinedly Catholics, Protestants want someone who's absolutely Protestant. But the most likely claimant is James I, who, ironically, is the. The son of Mary, Queen of Scots, who Elizabeth executed. But the absolute key thing is to have a smooth succession. Elizabeth I was pretty negligent. She didn't have a child, she didn't ensure a smooth succession. And so councillors around her were very keen to try and ensure that civil war and invasion didn't happen on Elizabeth's death. And so, day, not least, Robert Cecil and the Earl of Essex begin a correspondence with James, a secret correspondence. They use aliases to basically reassure him that the throne will be his, he doesn't need to invade, it will all be choreographed and fine. And so England is on the precipice. There's a real sense of what's going to happen. There's a plague happening, so England is in lockdown as well. The ports are closed to prevent invasion. There's a real sense of anticipation. Prisoners are. Many of them are sent abroad, people who have jewels, they're locked up in the Tower of London. But, of course, although there was the prospect of a succession crisis, it proved to be a smooth succession and James inherited the throne and made his way gradually to London to claim the crown and the crown of England.

[James Osborne]

So you mentioned that there are multiple potential claimants. Would Elizabeth I have known that it was James I who was going to succeed her? And if she did have a sense of that, presumably that was her desired outcome?

[Anna Whitelock]

I think she did. James had made it clear the sense that the English throne he felt was his. And I think she probably turned a blind eye to some of the secret correspondence that was going on. And there's different accounts of her sort of final acts. Some people say that when James's name was mentioned on her deathbed, she made a sign of a crown. I mean, that's of course, quite convenient for those who wanted James to inherit. So I think Elizabeth did have a clear sense of it, but she was incredibly vain. She didn't want to admit she was aging. And that wasn't just vanity. It was also the sense that the Tudor dynasty would die with her. And she really felt the minute she named an heir, all attention would be focused on them. So she just kind of turned her mind away from the inevitable and let her counsellors kind of deal with it. And I would argue, although Elizabeth is celebrated as one of the greatest Britons, you know, she was on that fundamental requirement of monarchy to preserve the succession and pass the succession on onto, you know, your heir or a named successor. She failed.

[James Osborne]

And James the First comes down from Scotland. Can you talk about the significance of that? Because that's pretty unique, isn't it?

[Anna Whitelock]

It is a big deal. England and Scotland have been ancient enemies. The borderlands, you know, on the edge of Scotland and England, there's been skirmishes over very many years, big wars. I mean, if you think back into medieval history, England and Scotland were the enemies. And so here we have a Scottish king coming down to England, a Scottish king, James vi, who has been king for much of his life, and he's coming down to claim the English throne. A previous adversary is now going to be the king of England. So it's a hugely big deal. And of course, James has aspirations, which he makes clear very quickly, to bring peace and union. And for him, he wants to create a union between England and Scotland. He sees it as geographically inevitable. England and Scotland are part of the same aisle, so he just sees this as a completely inevitable process, that England and Scotland will come together in the United Kingdom.

[James Osborne]

You mentioned the pursuit of peace being one of his goals, and we'll get to that in a second. But this is the birth of Great Britain, isn't it, really? And I thought a really interesting detail in the book was that at first Scotland begrudgingly accepts this concept because it's their king, really. But the English Parliament isn't happy. What are the challenges here? Who's opposing this and why?

[Anna Whitelock]

Yeah, the English are not happy. The English see themselves as the superior partner. So if Scotland accepts that it is inferior, then that's absolutely a baseline requirement for the English. But they also see, you know, the sense, or they also fear that the Scots will come down to England, you know, take their jobs. They have a very dismissive attitude to the Scots. And so, you know, there are big debates in Parliament because James makes it clear from the Start. I mean, he announces that he's King of Great Britain and he basically says to Parliament, get on with it. I want to see a union of laws, I want to see common currency, I want to see a full union. And to some extent, I think, or he is quite shocked by the resistance. I mean, he's like, come on, this is inevitable, this is a great thing. I want to be king of one kingdom, otherwise I'm sort of. He talks about sort of a bigamous relationship, that he's king in two places, but the English really are resistant to it. And so effectively it becomes James's kind of King of Great Britain in many ways, in name only. Although over time there is a sense of a kind of union of purpose. When the Protestants of England and Scotland come together, and particularly when they're thinking about their Protestant brethren aboard, they do have a sense of perhaps this United Kingdom could be a force to be reckoned with. Defending Protestantism both at home and abroad. It was so jarring of the times really, the idea that these ancient enemies would become brothers and allies, that there would be a trading union, a currency union, that there would be union in laws. You know, this was at the time just something that people really couldn't and didn't want to engage with. Now that's not to say that there weren't people who defended the King's position, articulated the King's position in Parliament, but ultimately Parliament absolutely dug its heels in. I mean, James talked about their sort of giddy heads. You know, they didn't really understand why this was a good thing, but they didn't. And therefore, although he talks about being King of Great Britain, there is, you know, attempts to create a Union Jack, which of course was going to be flown to to reflect that union. Really there was very much entrenched positions from England and from Scotland to it.

[James Osborne]

From a modern perspective. Now, looking back on this, I think that James I, seeing through this resistance to this concept of a Great Britain, I think that positions him as quite forward thinking monarch. Do you think that's about right?

[Anna Whitelock]

I think he was a man ahead of his times in lots of ways. I think that during the book I began to see him in many ways as a kind of Machiavellian politician who would say whatever different people wanted to hear. And he certainly wasn't a king of the kind of medieval warrior king variety that decided that, you know, he would absolutely go to war. Now that was also a very pragmatic position. James has been described over time and at the time as kind of effeminate, that he didn't live up to the expectations of being a warrior king. But James was also very aware that he just didn't have the means to fight wars. England had no money and he knew that people wouldn't accept being taxed to the hilt to fund those wars. And so actually this position was actually quite pragmatic. And not only that, James, in again, quite a forward thinking way, thought that he could establish a reputation, a significant reputation, not through winning battles, but actually brokering peace. And so he saw himself as this bringer of peace, not just between England and Scotland, but actually in Europe. And ultimately, therefore, rather than through war, it was through diplomacy that he felt that he could really establish his reputation and that of the Stuart dynasty.

[James Osborne]

You've mentioned James I and his pursuit of peace twice now, first with unifying Scotland with England and then also he put an end to the war with Spain. Can you take me through the importance of this pivot, if that's the right thing to call it? And why hadn't a settlement with Spain been reached during Elizabeth's time on the throne?

[Anna Whitelock]

It was a really important moment to establish peace, not just with Spain, but effectively with Catholic Europe. And by doing that, it meant that trading relations were restored and people were able to travel in a way that they hadn't felt safe to before. Now. There was a sense that both England and Spain, Elizabeth and Philip, were really at the end of their resources and their desire to continue the war. And so peace negotiations were sort of going on in a very sort of limited way. But James was absolutely determined that peace was the way forward and he wanted to get this settlement as soon as possible. And it became a really important part of his style, of his styling of himself, really this image of him as this great peacemaker. And of course, it was through peace that we really begin to see James Kingdom emerge from really the isolation of the period after the break with Rome, the first Brexit, as some have described it. And instead James wanting to move onto a European canvas and indeed those traders and explorers who wanted to go further afield. And so for me, the book is not exclusively about James, it's deliberately not a biography of James, it's really about a period where this fledgling Britain, it's not Britain as we know now, it's not the later act of Union, which really does formalise this union in terms of institutions and so on, but it's a personal union brought about by James being King of England and Scotland. But it's as much about how this fledgling Britain and key figures who are really determined to make profit, to explore, push the identity of Britain as it were, outside, beyond Europe to the east, to the New world. And the book then explores really how Britain and they refer in different letters and so on to the sort of king of Great Britain, how Britain is being perceived. And essentially it's this kind of upstart kingdom that is really a peripheral interest to, for example, the Indian mogul. It's like he just sort of laughs at the pretensions of the ambassador. And so it's not a sense of this is Britain that we know it later, the Britain of the empire on the rise and establishing its supremacy. It's these faltering attempts to make their presence felt around the world, to trade, to establish colonies. And some of those are successful, but in many ways they're not. And there is much of a sense of Britain being this inferior power effectively punching above its weight.

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[James Osborne]

So it sounds to me that James I's strategy for peace is part of greater ambitions rather than just being for peace's own sake.

[Anna Whitelock]

Yeah. His ambition for peace is about establishing both the position of his Britain, his Great Britain as he conceives it, but also crucially about the Stuart dynasty, about establishing his identity, his position on the throne. And so the idea of sort of dynastic identity as part of this image of Britain is really crucial. And he uses his children. He has three children, Prince Henry, Prince Charles and Princess Elizabeth. Prince Henry, the eldest, dies when he's a teenager, when he's about 18. And he was really the great hope that his father, who was not about war but rather peace instead. Prince Henry would be the future kind of warrior that people wanted. Now, I think there's a real sense that James was using his son in a way to represent that war like image, knowing that his time might or might not come. But right now he was a kind of way of focusing people's warlike ambitions. But in fact that worked for James's purposes. But Prince Henry dies and so of course Prince Charles, and we know Prince Charles Charles as later Charles I becomes heir, and then there is a daughter, Princess Elizabeth. And James is determined to use those marriages, the marriages of his children, to establish peace in Europe. And we're not just talking about peace between warring countries, we're talking about peace between warring faiths. And so he has this notion that he would have a balance of Protestant and Catholic marriages for his children and so would be absolutely enmeshed his family and of course him, in the establishment of peace. And he talks about a reunion of Christendom. And Christendom was effectively Europe, it was a Christian Europe. And he believed that it was possible to reestablish the unity of the Church, to get over the divisions between Protestantism and Catholicism. And so in that sense, I mean, it's a very ambitious vision of a European politician and not the sort of medieval warrior king that was more familiar to people.

[James Osborne]

So we're now talking about Great Britain's place in Europe and James I's conception of that. And that really does, as you've said, take us to the crux of your book, which is in large part about the country establishing itself as a global power. I think that I'm guilty of assuming that because Britain has had a reputation as a maritime superpower with Francis Drake and Nelson and then in the Second World War and so on, that it has always been a leading player here. But that's not the case, is it? What's the state of Britain's maritime capability when James I does take the throne?

[Anna Whitelock]

It's a really good Point. And certainly there is a lot of work to do to build a navy that is a fighting force. Prince Henry's eldest son is really determined to be this figure who will rebuild the army. And Walter Raleigh, the great Elizabethan privateer and sea dog, he is imprisoned but is advising Prince Henry and is desperate both to have war with Spain, but also to very much rebuild the navy. But I think your point about the sense that Britain almost had this inevitable status as being this superpower, a maritime superpower, and of course, we know the history through the Empire and Second World War, as you say, but in a sense, that's what I was trying to do in the book, is skew the focus and think about how was Britain, if we can define it as that. And of course, different people had a different sense of what Britain at that point was, but how was it being perceived abroad and sort of skewing the lens away from Anglo centric or histories which have really dominated the Stuart and largely the Tudor period, and actually look at Britain through a broader lens. And that's when we see very much a sense of Britain being challenged and overawed, really by the Portuguese, the Spanish and the Dutch, who are really key trading rival. And so I think the book is both exploring the importance of the sea and obviously it's through trade that Britain does emerge as a significant power. But actually that's not a. It's not a triumphant narrative. It's a narrative of a country who really does believe that it can punch above its weight and be a significant power when it really isn't. And I think that's what really comes out during the book, that there's a lot of people who are very brave, courageous, have great enterprising and exploring spirit. That's not James, really. I mean, that's the irony of the book, perhaps, that James has a clear sense of wanting to be king of Great Britain. But the enterprising Britain, the ambitious Britain, the Britain that does establish colonies abroad and begins trading relationships, is a Britain of others, of other explorers and so on. And it's not all, certainly at all, by the direction of James himself.

[James Osborne]

That, I think raises a really interesting question. You used the word inevitability. And I wanted to ask if you think that Britain's expansion under James I's reign, would this have happened without him, or was he really the leading force behind this?

[Anna Whitelock]

I mean, it's a really good question. And of course, we know that there were overseas exploration attempts during Elizabeth's reign, and we know that there were attempts to establish colonies in the New World, but they didn't survive. So that sort of enterprising sense was very much there. James established the conditions where trade and travel was possible, not least by the peace that he established in Europe. So he sort of set the context. But actually, the emergence of Britain as this fledgling force in the world was not solely down to James and I think would have happened anyway, although, you know, you could look back and say, yes, but it was the piece of James's reign and the relative stability of it, particularly when we think about what comes next, which of course is Charles I's reign, the Civil War, execution and so on, that James, both by establishing peace at home largely, and peace in Europe, did crucially sort of set these conditions, which all came together in a kind of perfect storm. That meant at the turn of the 17th century, the Gathering pressures and forces, an imperative to trade and to travel, could fully be realised, at least in its sort of early inception. And in that sense, James was a critical factor.

[James Osborne]

So you're saying then that this was the overall trajectory, but that James I facilitated it in a way that we can't just dismiss?

[Anna Whitelock]

I think that's right, yes. I mean, James has been relatively neglected by history, by historians, in fact, The Stuart period has certainly, relative to the Tudor period, been relatively neglected. And so there is a sense of unfamiliarity with this period and with James. And so James is many ways, dismissed in a kind of caricatured way, as, you know, a king with a ton too large for his mouth, a kind of slobbering image that emerged and has been dismissed really, as a significant figure. Now, that's certainly changing. It's obviously the anniversary of his death this year, 2025. He died in 1625. And so there will be books, there will be more traditional biography coming out later in the year by Clare Jackson. And my book is very much, I guess, beginning that reexamination of James in this, his anniversary year. And, yes, thinking about him, but thinking about England, Scotland, Ireland, Britain as James would have it in this global context. And really, I think many histories of this, of the 16th and 17th century, can lack that. You know, we focus, as I have in my previous books, on the court and thinking about England as the sort of center of things. And actually, there was a much bigger world out there, and we think about the splendors of the Tudor or the Stuart court, when the first ambassador went to India, and you see the kind of wealth and opulence of the emperor's court, you realise that really, England is literally A kind of speck in the ocean, comparatively.

[James Osborne]

You talk about a bigger world, and that's a really key component of what the book explores, Britain's place in this bigger world during this period of expansion. We obviously think about Britain expanding westwards towards America with the voyage of the Mayflower, but also, as you've just said, roots opening up eastward, not least with the East India Company. Could you expand a bit on how a balance was struck there? Was this a planned strategy? Because it perhaps seems that this simultaneous westward and eastward expansion seems perhaps overly ambitious.

[Anna Whitelock]

Well, I suppose that's assuming that there was a strategy, and that's assuming, of course, that it was James strategy that was kind of centrally coordinated. And of course it wasn't. James wanted wealth. He wanted wealth through trade, and so he certainly wouldn't discourage attempts at overseas exploration, the establishment of colonies which it hoped would bring great riches, and of course, trade in the east, not least accessing the spices and joining, you know, the race for spices between England and the Dutch. And so it's interesting because in many ways he kind of plays catch up and when something is working and proving successful, then he kind of gets involved with it. And so in America, there was a sense, I mean, you mentioned the Mayflower, and of course that was driven by Puritans who wanted to establish a new England free from religious persecution in the New World. James sort of, and those around him sort of picked up the notion of a kind of Nova Britannia, a new Britain abroad. But that came later, really. So he sort of played catch up when these projects had been established. And although it's true to say that was, you know, the strategy, just stretching, moving east and moving west, it was different groups of people. Although, having said that, I mean, what was amazing is that someone like Sir Thomas Smith, who was involved as governor of the East India Company, he was also involved with the Plymouth Company, the Virginia Company, and I think that's in itself a really key point, that there are these figures that are ubiquitous at the time, and what we haven't spoken about, I suppose, in terms of strategy, is trading strategy blurred with foreign policy in many ways, or at least Britain's expansion abroad. And the trading companies, the East India Company, which was actually established in 1600, so at the end of Elizabeth's reign, and then a number of other trading companies, they were the means, these joint stock companies, which really did propel Britain forward. And actually they were quite keen to keep the King out of it. They didn't want him involved. And there really was a kind of dynamism and energy that came from outside of James's central circle. Although that's not to say that the court and city in London, of course, emerged as this great global city. The court and city were interchangeable in many ways. People moved between the two. And as city merchants rose to prominent positions of power, they would get more access to court and to the king. And so London actually itself becomes a key character in the book in many ways, as this trading hub and the docklands being bustling full of ships and trade, new goods coming to Britain, and in that sense, people's horizons broadening. And I think that's another key part of this. It's not just the sort of actual trade and its colonies abroad, it's the cultural shift that we see in James's reign that people were thinking further afield. There was a sense of people's horizons widening. And with that we see the rise of the popular press describing war in Europe, which fascinated and exercised people in Britain.

[James Osborne]

This all paints a portrait of James the First as a canny and ambitious political operator who laid some strong trading and cultural and military foundations. Just as we begin to get to the end of this conversation, James I reigned for over 20 years, and it seems like there was a really stark transformation during this time, and transformation often comes with turbulence. Do you think that James I left his kingdom in a stronger position than he inherited it?

[Anna Whitelock]

I think he did. Although it's important whenever we think of reigns and dynasties that we emphasize continuity as Woucher's difference. The day that Elizabeth died was the day that James became king. And so we need to think about the seeds of. You talked about the foundations being laid during James reign. I wouldn't say necessarily by James, but, you know, the sort of preliminary work had begun in Elizabeth's reign, I think. But yes, broadly speaking, Britain was in a stronger position. It had began to trade more widely outside of Europe. It had colonies now in the New World that it didn't have on Elizabeth's death. And James had established a new dynasty, although he had lost his eldest son, the Prince of Wales, Prince Henry, he had Prince Charles, who at the end of his. Of James's reign, is emerging into a very much a political force in his own right, trying to sort of wrestle control of foreign policy from his father and actually wanting to push for war against his father's own instincts. So, yes, I think England or Britain, as James would have it, is in a stronger position. And then, of course, the questions also then begin, were the seeds of the civil war planted in James's reign. And so I think it's definitely possible to see James's reign as a period of peace, expansion, enterprise. And I think lots of the sort of cultural sense of overseas interest and widening horizons being sown, and also perhaps a sense of Britain being a power punching above its weight. We also see that very much in this period. But, of course, Britain, having looked abroad, is soon consumed by strife, civil war, turbulence at home, which ultimately sees, of course, James's son, King Charles I, executed.

[James Osborne]

This is a massive topic and you're talking about Charles the First, and, you know, it expands out so far. We couldn't possibly cover it all in this one conversation, but I wondered if there is anything that we haven't discussed that you'd like to leave our audience with.

[Anna Whitelock]

I think for me, I was trying to build on the familiar, and the book has the sort of starting point of Elizabeth's death and then gradually move to get people to think in different ways and countries that we're familiar with today. But we perhaps don't necessarily think about their histories and what they were like in the 16th and 17th century, which, of course, so many people, you know, particularly the 16th century, know so much from an English historical perspective. And what I found really fascinating is, you know, that James and Britain were talked about in Russia and in India and Japan and countries that we very much are familiar with today. You know, this was in many ways a period where first contact was established. And so it's really. The book is intended to be a series of vignettes, really, of looking at Britain abroad in this period and hopefully beginning to make the unfamiliar a little bit more familiar.

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That was Anna Whitelock speaking to James Osborne about her new book, the Sun Rising, James I and the dawn of a Global Britain. Thanks for listening. This podcast was produced by Jack Bateman.