The English by Geoffrey Elton

The Peoples of Europe

by G.R. Elton

During the fifth century following the withdrawal of the Roman military establishment from England, the armed incursions of the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and others of the Barbarian tribes from across the North Sea increased, and soon became a surge. After a relatively short time the subjugation of the British was complete and England a patchwork of warring domains and isolated settlements. Yet within the space of two centuries the English (as the tribes may collectively be called) had achieved a sense of themselves that may fairly be described as nationhood. It is the evolution of this sense and of the distinctive characteristics of England and the English that gave it form and substance which Geoffrey Elton traces through twelve centuries. The result is the first one-volume history of the English nation from its origins to the present for over twenty it is a tour de force.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature

Paperback

First published November 1, 1992

About the author

Sir Geoffrey Rudolph Elton FBA (born Gottfried Rudolf Otto Ehrenberg) was a German-born British political and constitutional historian, specialising in the Tudor period. He taught at Clare College, Cambridge, and was the Regius Professor of Modern History there from 1983 to 1988.

An strong advocate of the primacy of political and administrative history, Elton was the pre-eminent Tudor historian of his day. He also made very significant contributions to the then current debate on the philosophy of historical practice, as well as having a powerful effect on the profession through, among other things, his presidency of the Royal Historical Society.

Reviews

[Leonardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my preferred style of delivery for history, but it does serve well for the summary role this book fills. Each chapter examines the areas of politics, finance, and religion for distinct periods of English history, beginning with the first invasions of the Saxons and the Angles all the way to the Edwardian age. As such, a lot of history is meshed together. While many events are compressed, I do say that the development of English identity is very easy to follow. The book is surprisingly optimistic about the developments without being nauseatingly liberal about it as some texts can be. Would recommend as a good portal for further reading.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good 220 page short view of a 1000 years of English history, but very tedious to read. Focuses on political, religious and social aspects.