britain

In 2009 archaeologists in Weymouth made a gruesome discovery: 51 skeletons were found buried in a pit - separated from their 1000-years-old heads. Further analysis of the skulls using the latest forensic techniques confirms that the victims were all came from a very cold climate. One of the executed warriors even originates from north of the Arctic circle.

South West Maritime Archaeological Group (SWMAG) have sent us some of the first pictures of the remarkable finds recovered from the site of Britain’s oldest shipwreck – a 3,000 year old Bronze Age trading vessel that sunk off the coast of Devonshire in southwest England around 900 BC. We blogged about its discovery on Tuesday.

While human footprints lead back thousands of years to prehistoric times, the seeds of modern London were sown in 43AD when Claudius crossed the Channel to claim Britain for the Roman Empire. He put a bridge across the river Thames and built a city called Londinium. Now, London is a thriving, heaving, sprawling metropolis, a bustling crossroads of cultures and languages, and a rich modern economy that draws ideas and artists and entrepreneurs.

With HK's Ancient World in London set to launch this month, we've put together this list of books to help you get to know the city just that little bit better, and understand how history has helped shape and define one of the world's great modern cities.

Choose between general histories, books for kids, maps and more - or get fully clued up about one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations by covering all the bases.