As the sea gull flies, the distance is not great: 21 miles from Cape Gris- Nez in France to the famous white chalk cliffs of Dover on the English side. Yet down the centuries the narrow neck of water separating Britain and France has served as one of Europe's most enduring physical and psychological barriers. Only twice have armies crossed it to invade Britain: the Roman legions in 54 B.C. and the one led by William, Duke of Normandy, in 1066. Secure on their sceptered isle, Britons developed their own proud brand of insularity, summed up as "splendid isolation" during the...
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