Winchester College was founded in 1382 and is one of England's oldest schools. This publication includes essays on fifty objects from across these collections, each written by a member of the school community. Winchester College was founded in 1382 and is one of England's oldest schools. Over the past six centuries it has accumulated remarkable collections of documents, books and works of art. This publication includes essays on fifty objects from across these collections, each written by a member of the school community. It features documents and artefacts from the early history of the College, and outstanding items from its important collections of Greek antiquities, Chinese ceramics, English silver, and rare books. Among the more unusual and unexpected objects are a ship model made by 18th century prisoners, a scrapbook from the Crimean War, and perhaps the world's longest running scientific experiment. An introductory essay describes how the collections were acquired and sets them in the context of the school's history.

To many in the United Kingdom, the British public school remains the disliked and mistrusted embodiment of privilege and elitism. They have educated many of the country’s top bankers and politicians over the centuries right up to the present, including the present Prime Minister. David Turner’s vibrant history of Great Britain’s public schools, from the foundation of Winchester College in 1382 to the modern day, offers a fresh reappraisal of the controversial educational system. Turner argues that public schools are, in fact, good for the nation and are presently enjoying their true “Golden Age,” countering the long-held belief that these institutions achieved their greatest glory during Great Britain’s Victorian Era. Turner’s engrossing and enlightening work is rife with colorful stories of schoolboy revolts, eccentric heads, shocking corruption, and financial collapse. His thoughtful appreciation of these learning establishments follows the progression of public schools from their sometimes brutal and inglorious pasts through their present incarnations as vital contributors to the economic, scientific, and political future of the country.