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Northerners also shows convincingly how the past echoes down the centuries. The devastation of factory and pit closures in the 1980s, for example, recalled the trauma of William the Conqueror’s Harrying of the North. The book charts how the north-south divide has ebbed and flowed and explores the very real divisions between northerners, such as the rivalry between Lancashire and Yorkshire. He started work as sports editor and trainee journalist at the Goole Times, east Yorkshire, where he won the Pfizer Award for UK’s best performance as a trainee journalist. The way the book is structured threw me off at times too because it jumps around in time an awful lot due to tangents but, to be honest, that is a minor qualm. Brian went to Manchester Grammar School and Balliol College, Oxford, where he got a first-class BA in English Language and Literature. He has a lifelong interest in history and was a regular reader of History Today by age 12.The north has not only witnessed some of the country’s most dramatic events, it has also been pivotal to them. Take, for example, the important historical standing of York, a city where at least six Roman emperors ruled the empire. Or the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria, which became for a time Europe’s leading cultural and intellectual centre, illuminating the Dark Ages. The what-could-have-been scenarios had history taken a different route are numerous. A second book, with the working title These Isles, is due to be published in May 2025. It will tell the story of the relationship between the peoples of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and other parts of the British and Irish isles.

Undertaking the research for ‘Northerners’ was a labour of love for Groom. Over several years, he delved deep into historical archives, exploring countless rabbit holes to uncover hidden gems and untold stories. What sets the book apart is the scale and geographical focus. Groom does an excellent job of bouncing around topics, and his skills really flourish in later chapters. When diving into a very particular aspect of the north's history, such as migration, leisure or even sheep farming, Groom's broad historical brush strokes pay off dividends. He gets to leap across centuries and pull together different parts of northern history which a narrower focus wouldn't allow. It makes for a fun read and is perfect for anybody wanting a neat overview of the region. It also embraces the scenery of the north, and Groom's accounts of Liverpool, the Pennines, Northumbria and Manchester are all very evocative. Neither. They are just people. I dislike sweeping generalisations. Both contain wildly varying individuals, good and bad. Writer Brian Groom seeks to do just that in Northerners: A History, a definitive new chronicle of the region, the first to appear this century. Brian, originally from Stretford, Lancashire, is a former assistant editor of the Financial Times and editor of Scotland on Sunday. He will be talking about his book and Northern history at Newcastle Lit & Phil on Thursday, May 26. Northerners: A History from the Ice Age to the Present Day (litandphil.org.uk)It was the engine of the nation’s growth, powered by pioneers like textile magnate Richard Arkwright, a barber and wig-maker from Preston, known as King Cotton, who created the factory system that dominated industry for a century. Delving into the human stories behind these northerners creates an emotional tale of loss and heroism throughout time, connecting readers with the past and their history.”

Another revelation in ‘Northerners’ is the surprising number of Roman Emperors hailing from York. While many are aware of Constantine the Great due to his statue outside the Minster, the prominence of other Roman Emperors from York has gone unnoticed. If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for 65 € per month. Brian Groom is a journalist and a leading expert on British regional and national affairs. His career was spent mainly at the Financial Times, where he was assistant editor and worked in various capacities. He is also a former editor of Scotland on Sunday, which he launched as deputy editor and which won many awards. Originally from Stretford, Lancashire, he returned to live in the north – in Saddleworth, South Pennines – in 2015. This is his first book. HarperNorth have bought World English rights to the next two books by Brian Groom, author of the bestselling Northerners: A History, from the Ice Age to the Present Day.

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Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section. What happens at the end of my trial? Northerners fills a gap in the market for a book on the history that has shaped the north of England. It could hardly be more topical, given tensions over Brexit, the “red wall” and forces threatening to drive the country apart. This book lays out the dramatic events that have played out in the north – waves of migration, invasions and battles, its impact on European culture and the global economy, its struggles to assert its identity as modern Britain emerged. It explores what northernness means in the 21 st century and the crucial role the north can play in Britain’s future. The story is told through the people, famous or not, who have built the region. In 1913, Lancashire produced two-thirds of the world output of cotton cloth. By 1938, it was only 25%.

The book aims to be Northern England’s defining biography, laying out dramatic events that created the North – waves of migration, invasions and battles, and transformative changes affecting European culture and the global economy. Northern England, fashioned by waves of migration, invasions and battles, has had a profound impact on European culture and the global economy. It was not just the Industrial Revolution, viewed by economic historians as the key event in human history – and in which Manchester played a globally decisive role. At least six Roman emperors ruled for a period from the north. And the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria was Europe’s leading cultural and intellectual centre. Brian Groom is a journalist and one of the foremost experts on British regional and national affairs. His career was spent mainly at the Financial Times, where he did many of the top writing and editing jobs. He is also a former editor of Scotland on Sunday, which he launched as deputy editor and which won many awards. Originally from Stretford, Lancashire (now part of Greater Manchester), he returned to live in the north – in Saddleworth, south Pennines – in 2015. In 1988 he launched Scotland on Sunday, Scotsman Publications’ Sunday paper, as deputy editor and later became editor. It was voted UK Newspaper of the Year (Newspaper Industry Awards 1994) and UK Sunday Newspaper of the Year (Newspaper Industry Awards 1997). Groom, who covered the economic revival of the area for the Financial Times in the late 1990s, has long argued that there is a richer story to tell about its people beyond the stereotypes of whippets and flat caps. These stereotypes, “often perpetuated by northerners”, have become “a blight on perceptions of the north and may even damage its prospects,” he once argued.

In those days, England was divided into Britannia Inferior and Britannia Superior. Guess which was the North? Right first time, and nothing much has changed.