An Illustrated History of Britain

by David McDowall

An Illustrated History of Britain traces the development of the nation from prehistoric times to present days. It looks at British history not merely in terms of kings, queens and battles, but also emphasises economic, social and intellectual forces and how these affected the everyday lives of people from different sections of society.

An Illustrated History of Britain is a history of Britain, not just for England. It looks at major developments within Scotland, Wales and Ireland as well as their relations with England.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Academic, Textbooks, Ebooks, Read For School, School

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

David McDowall has lived and worked in various parts of the world: in Hong Kong, Iraq, the Lebanon and Austria, serving in HM Forces, the British Council and the United Nations. He has traveled widely in the Near East and has written extensively on both British and Middle Eastern history, in particular on the Palestine Question, the Lebanese conflict, and the Kurds of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. He now writes walkers' guides to some of Britain's historic landscapes. He is married to the writer Elizabeth Laird.

Reviews

[Tiger Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would be good to use as support material in schools since it is very easy to read. However, for anyone else, it is confusing because the order of events is not always in chronological order, and it gives very little information about most events. A good introduction to British history, but certainly more is needed.

[mateusz szum era · Rating 3 out of 5]

bro history after middle ages is straight up dookie😭😭😭💀💀 also boring plot, no character development, shi tragic new patek (6/10)

[Zane Skadina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hahah yup I’m doing a review on my course literature.

Wrote my Tenta on it today, can’t say it was entirely helpful, feels a bit outdated, especially with the current situation in England. Much better than googling, but the lectures definitely gave me more in terms of knowledge in a chronological order.

[mpdg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeśli tak jak ja w szybkim czasie musicie pojąć całą historię Wielkiej Brytanii to będzie odpowiedni wybór. Jest zadziwiająco krótka i łatwa do zrozumienia, nawet dla tych, których pierwszym językiem nie jest angielski, wszystko jest jasne i opisane bez owijania w bawełnę. Jedyny minus to czasem zbyt słabo wyszczególnione daty, które gubią się w opisach, a jeśli przygotowujesz się do egzaminu, to właśnie na to zwracasz uwagę.

[Marouan elmail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A class assignment.

[millie___s. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasvim pristojna knjiga koja moze da posluzi kao uvod u istoriju Velike Britanije. Jeste ilustrovana, ali nije za decu (ako ste to mislili). Slike su tu da upotpune tekst koji je obilat cinjenicama, dogadjajima i licnostima. Ne ide u detalje pojedinacnih dogadjaja, vec ih na neki nacin navodi u korelaciji sa prosloscu i sadasnjoscu. Recimo, deo o II svetskom ratu je naveden na dve strane (sa slikom Vinstona Cercila). Suludo je ocekivati nesto vise od istorijske knjige na manje od 200 strana. Tako da sam zadovoljna.

[ㅤ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very easy to read. So it might be adequate as an introductory book. However, I wasn’t expecting it to lack so much detail. And I also found the lack of a proper chronological order quite distracting at times.

[M]

Leporelo to teda urcite nebolo, no na skusku z historie na becko stacilo🤓 (Čajkik som už pravý goodreadsák keď dávam recenzie?)

[Jovana Iv · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. I got to learn so much about the history of the British isles. The writing and style are nice and easy to follow. The text is not dry, and there are numerous accompanying photos that help a lot in portraying the life of the people from this region. I enjoyed from page one till the last sentence.

[Johanna]

Läst till första kursen i Engelska grundkursen.

[Dagmara Ziarkowska · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book ever

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't say I dislike the book, but it certainly isn't my cup of tea, either. I have to read it for an introductory course on the British Isles' history, and I find it lacking. I usually find myself having to turn to other books or documentaries for extra information (though, I have to admit that I particularly like history, so I want to 'know more').
Everything is so summarized that it's hard to keep track at times. And events (and chain of events) are not explained. That is, it only describes, but it doesn't cater to real understanding of the underlying causes, which I find crucial, since we're studying social processes (especially in the first chapters, which deal with Prehistory). It's almost as if sentences and events weren't connected.
As for the language, it is very simple, and sentences are usually very short, which makes it an easy read for people who don't necessarily master English (which is usually not the case for most history books).
All in all, it is a good choice if you're interested in having an overview, rather than an actual analysis of historical processes, or if you're not comfortable with your level of English.

[Maroua · Rating 3 out of 5]

An nice , easy introduction to Britain History.

[Glafira Osypets · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised to see that no one has reviewed this book yet, because it’s a must-read for anyone interested in British history. McDowall’s book isn’t just a solid introduction; it offers a fresh perspective on the twists and turns of Britain’s past, looking at events from ethnic, economic, social, and intellectual angles. It doesn’t just describe changes—it explains the forces behind them, which is what makes it stand out.

For example, the section on the Tudors is divided cleverly into three chapters: one on major historical events like the establishment of the monarchy and the Reformation, another on foreign policy and developments in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, and a third on domestic life, government, language, and culture. Each era receives similar thoughtful treatment, giving readers a comprehensive yet accessible view of history.

The strengths of this book are clear: it offers unique insights into the reasons behind societal, technological, and cultural developments, and it’s an easy, illustrated introduction to British history. I do wish there were a few more maps and slightly fewer illustrations, but that’s a minor quibble.

On the downside, it’s a 1989 publication, so it doesn’t cover the last few decades or include the latest historical and anthropological research, and at only 188 pages, it leaves you wishing for a longer, updated version.

Despite these minor drawbacks, this book deserves more attention. It’s perfect for students, adults revisiting history, or anyone who wants an engaging, concise read. McDowall even touches on quirky but important details, like how Britain’s climate influenced its culture and success, without ever bogging the reader down. It’s informative yet breezy, making history feel alive.

In short, this isn’t just a history book—it’s a guide to the history of Britain, packed with insight, accessible language, and enjoyable illustrations. I found myself reading and rereading it, and I can confidently say it’s a great starting point for anyone curious about Britain’s past.

[Becky Suh · Rating 4 out of 5]

1/27/25
You read this book because you loved A Room with a View by EM Forster and wanted to learn more about the historical context that shaped the social structures that are a large theme in the book. This book did the job. Learning more about the feudal system and historical conflict between the nobility and crown, helped define the rigid social structures of Britain that EM Forster critiques in A Room with a View.

It was a quick read on the way back from the New Years/Lawrence trip with Rebekah and while at a hair appointment with Belle. You were most interested in reading about prehistoric British history, the feudal system and how it evolved over time, and social demographic patterns -- you were surprised to learn that the average age of marriage was close to the mid-twenties for most of early modern history in Britain (you had previously assumed that most people were getting married as teenagers lol).

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know it's kinda cheating when I put a textbook into my reading challenge but don't blame me. I had to read 200 pages of British history in two days and after that reread parts of it more than twice so I think I deserve that.
I liked this book more than other ones I tried to read but I still found it a bit vague, it's cool it is short, but I would appreciate more dates just so I could stay on track with the time period and a bit more info about wars and stuff because it seems to me that they were mentioned just very briefly unlike for example religion which was given loooong paragraphs of text (don't get me wrong I know thats important too but it didn't seem that balanced)
Also, sometimes the events were far from chronological ordering. Like please why do you HAVE TO MAKE IT EVEN HARDER.
Otherwise cool, good additional read for exams.

[Del Trigo · Rating 3 out of 5]

El rey Knut, Juan sin Tierra, el asesinato de Thomas Beckett, la era de las catedrales, la guerra de las Dos Rosas y la de los Cien Años, la Armada Invencible, Shakespeare, The Act Union, el anglicanismo, la época victoriana, La WWII, Los Beatles, Lady Di y muchos otros se dan cita en las amenas páginas de este libro que sirve como grato repaso tanto de la historia en sí como de la lengua inglesa. Dos en uno.

[Safa · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read this for school and it was very educational and full of information.

[Marzena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super informative, even if most events were described skin-deep. A good introduction to more detailed books.

[Miroslav Staněk · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally well-cramped shit-ton of information into such a small package, and I have to say I wasn't bored for a second.

[Elly]

Read for school, might as well count it towards my reading goal.

[sof]

choices where definitely made

[Maëva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! It's very good to use as support material for my university course, it's well written and easy to read. Lots of images too and it's a nice way to accompagn the text. It's also really full of informations and I got to learn a lot from it. Not a book I'd usually read by myself but this one is different - I enjoyed it!!

[Barawe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tahle kniha je perfektní pro rychlé sumarizování celých dějin čajového gangu žijícího na Britských ostrovech. Její velká výhoda je pdfková verze dostupná na internetu a naprosto srozumitelný jazyk a krátké věty, ve kterých se autor vyjadřuje. Já jí stihla přelouskat za pár hodin. Pokud je tedy rychlé zopakování to, co hledáte, berte jí do rukou. Pokud chcete dobře napsané, podrobné vyprávění o všem, co se dělo, radši hledejte dál.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I looked wistfully at this book when I was preparing for my entrance exams at the lyceum at the age of 12. I looked wistfully at this book when I was preparing for my university entrance exams at 16. I looked wistfully at this book when I had a UK history class at 21. I'm not sure I ever actually opened it.

In February 2019 I was about to resell it and I wanted to browse it quickly... I ended up reading the whole thing.

I can't give 5 stars because of the reference to "N*gro slaves" (not in a historical quote or something). Later he also claims that blacks and Asians only appeared in the UK in the last couple of centuries (not accurate). Nevertheless, the book was probably very progressive for 1989, with each chapter making sure to mention what the life of women was like.

Many say it's a very easy book, but honestly I wouldn't say so. I definitely wouldn't have understood everything at the age of 12.

As far as I can tell, Che storia was inspired by this book. I liked its structure more and it was definitely easier for non-natives. The latter has just five sections about the major time periods (the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages etc), while the UK one is more detailed. Well, at least this helped me close some gaps in my knowledge/understanding of history (including global history - parts of it read like world history from the UK perspective). The structure is not linear but I definitely liked that. It does what we call "разложить всё по полочкам" in Russian - literally put everything on its shelf.

It was especially interesting to find out things I never learned during Russian history classes, like how the UK was afraid Russia would invade the Orthodox/Slavic-speaking regions of the Balkans. I also enjoyed finding out more about the Quakers and Methodists.

The bits about the European Union are still relevant now during Brexit.

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great summary of British history written in a fairly easy, accessible language. At times it was confusing to keep up with, as it jumped back and forth on the timelines of each period/century. Since I read this alongside a university course, this problem was fixed with the help of classes. It is perhaps a bit outdated now, since it was published more than 30 years ago. A bit too riddled with statistics and numbers in the very last part about 20th century Britain. Overall a well written and interesting book to read.

[Malika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the book very much, it starts from the early beginning, until the contemporain history of Britain. Full of illustrations, information well explained. I do recomend it for beginners who want to discover Britain.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, I finished this book a while ago. It was alright, easy to read and it was nice to read a book only about England's history, which I really like. Not the best history book I've read, but the pros easily overweight the cons. End score is 3.5

[Maira M. Moura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ótimo para quem quer estudar história inglesa em inglês, mas ainda está aprendendo o idioma. Nâo muito imparcial e discordante de outras fontes (li textos soltos, na internet, mais específicos sobre assuntos só pincelados aqui) mas tem gravuras e Gaston aprovaria!

[غنية]

I read this book in my second year(2016-2017) for my Culture, Civilisation and English Language course and I liked it for two reasons.
First, the language is simple and the events are organized in chronologically order so it's really easy to follow, and the second reason is the style and nature of the content. Rather than the constant stuffing of information, major events, and historical dates type of writing we are all familiar with, the writer follows a different approach, a narrative one. The reader is introduced to the British society in a detailed, close manner and is constantly updated with changes that occur and thus alter the everyday lives of the plain citizens.