At 18, your life is full of possibility. You have everything to look forward to - unless you've got the plague. In this unconventional and witty history, award-winning writer and broadcaster Alice Loxton delves into Britain's past, exploring the country through 18 notable figures at that most formative of ages - 18-years-old. From a young Empress Matilda, already changing the fate of nations, to teenage Richard Burton, the rugby-obsessed lad who grew up in a Welsh mining town, each journey unveils a different era of Britain. Irreverent and full of fascinating tidbits (did you know Chaucer began as a scantily clad pageboy?), Loxton reveals what we can learn from the way a society treats its young - about its values and its foibles

Introduction : the fountain of youth -- The first guest -- Bede -- An introduction -- Empress Matilda -- Small talk -- Geoffrey Chaucer -- Hiccups -- Jacques Francis -- Pattering princesses -- Lady Elizabeth -- The dance lesson -- Jeffrey Hudson -- The table plan -- Fionnghal Nic Dhòmhnaill -- Dry land -- Horace Nelson -- Getting schooled -- Sarah Biffin -- Another story -- Mary Anning -- About time -- Isambard Kingdom Brunel -- Dessert arrives -- Elsie Inglis -- After dinner -- Vita Sackville-West -- Through the fire exit -- Jack Lewis -- A science lesson -- Rosalind Franklin -- Guilty as charged -- Richard Burton -- Dance the night away -- Vivienne Westwood -- Spin the bottle -- Rae DeDarre -- Lights up -- Conclusion : some final thoughts -- Table plan -- Places to visit -- My life at 18