The Hutchinson Illustrated Encyclopedia of British History is a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the people, events, and ideas that have shaped Britain from prehistory to the present day. The editors have also sought to convey the truth that history is more than simply a compilation of facts from the past.

The editors have included as much factual information as possible in each A-Z entry, and numerous tables and statistics are included, as well as many specially-created maps and plans. The chronological relationships of past events and lives are conveyed through various detailed subject chronologies (attached to the relevant A-Z entries). A large thematic chronology, following the A-Z text, provides a visual reference to the relationship between the events of British/Irish history and events elsewhere in the world. And the cultural context of as many entries as possible has been brought to life via a wide range of illustrations, which provide a wealth of visual detail and, often, a key to past conceptions.

Interspersed in the text are 21 specially commissioned, extended feature articles from noted historians that provide the analysis and the sense of the broad sweep of history that would otherwise be impossible to convey in an A-Z reference book.