Britische Geschichte für Dummies

by Sean Lang, Kinka Gerke-Unger (Translator)

Schillernd ist sie, die Britische Geschichte. Erst waren dort die Kelten, dann unterwarfen die Romer die Insel, auf sie folgten die Angelsachsen und schlielich die Normannen. Schlussendlich entwickelte sich Britannien zu einem Weltreich. Warum? Sean Lang erzahlt die Geschichte um Boudicca, Richard Lowenherz, Heinrich VIII. und seine Frauen, Maria Stuart und Elizabeth I. Er schildert stets mit einem Augenzwinkern Britanniens Weg zur Macht und lasst dabei auch die Schurken und Schwerenoter nicht aus. So konnen Sie sich mit diesem Buch schnell und umfassend uber die Geschichte unserer Freunde auf der Insel informieren.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference, British Literature, World History, Historical, Ebooks

430 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 7, 2003

Reviews

[Dan Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are times in history when one ought to be a fan of a certain publishing house. Scribner's Sons in the 20's. City Lights in the 50's. And now, For Dummies. Now, I'm sure that the For Dummies series prompts scorn and derision for some of their titles. I can only hope that Computers for Dummies reads something like this: "This is a mouse. You use it to do the obvious thing on your computer. When it breaks, you should do anything other than call your 'smart grandson' who does, in fact, have something better to do than help you digitize your photos of cats in front of a background of animated cats trying to hump other still life cats." I might be worried about my grandma taking offense at the previous sentence if not for the content of the previous sentence.

But the For Dummies books on Humanities and Social Sciences are awesome. The actual dummies, the ones who learn things just for grades, flock to Cliffs Notes. This brand, that in the technical realm caters to liberal arts majors on a deadline ("Our co-op newsletter needs to be out by Tuesday and it's not getting there 'til you learn Adobe Illustrator!"), caters, in the humanities realm, to liberal arts majors looking to have more info to masturbate out in casual cocktail party conversation. And so they find wholly competent authors who have a nice, cheeky sense of humor to write it. All the while giving you the facts without the pesky parts of textbooks. Y'know, the quizzes, the forced diversity ("minorities were important too during this period; check out this sidebar that shows a woman/black/poor person who had an interesting life story that is a sidebar because it doesn't fit in to the main story"), the repetition for students skimming a chapter introduction 3 minutes before class.

This is a textbook for people who want to learn, and want to have fun learning. Textbooks use a style that is dry, droll, and drab to make information easy to convey. Instead of dumbing down the words, Lang makes his style more interesting so you read closer. Consider the following chapter/section titles: "1066 and All That Followed", "Children of the Revolutions", "And What Have the Romans Ever Given Us in Return?", "Saxon, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll", "Who wants to be a William heir?", "Going Dutch", "Marlborough country", "Trouble Over: Brdiged Water", "The Battle of Warren Hastings". These are references to, somewhat respectively, an earlier satire of British History, Song Titles, Monty Python, awesome things, game shows, a good way to be told it's alright but you won't get laid, smoking, and historical occurrences themselves. I'm sure I've omitted several altogether awesome ones. And that made me pay closer attention. And that made me learn more.

The writing's funny, sure. In a wry, British manner, instructive itself. (In one passage about the revolts over Poll Tax, the writer notes that the disembodied head the peasants took was surely displayed on a vertical piece of wood using pole tacks). But all the cultural references make this book more admittedly a product of its own time than most are willing to admit. And it's short, a survey course, which means you get blasted with a lot, quickly. This is not a book to read a chapter or two of. If you want that, go to wikipedia. This is a book to read all of in one relatively fell swoop, so that you make connections you might miss if you read about single events. For instance, I had never quite realized that the Prince John who was the snivelling bastard in Robin Hood stories became the King John who, as a snivelling king, was forced by his barons to issue the Magna Carta. Let me know what connections you make.

Don't read this book because I recommend it. That perverts the purpose of this book. It is a book to be read only because you don't have to. The author made this book good; intent and intent alone can make it enjoyable.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've lost my patience with this book. He makes offensive jokes to try to be fun and interesting, but I'm just offended and bored. I thought this would be a good book to give me a wide scope of British history, but I've got to try something else. His misunderstanding of the Boston Tea Party was the breaking point. What else did he lie to me about?

Ok, so now I finished. My opinion of it did not change.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec British History for Dummies?
"J'aime l'Histoire et les histoires, le Royaume-Uni, l'anglais, apprendre et la collection "pour les nuls". Cela fait bien assez de raisons pour avoir eu envie de découvrir ce livre et de vous en parler, même si ce n'est pas un roman."

Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Ce livre nous raconte, avec beaucoup d'humour, toute l'histoire des British, de bien avant l'invention même de ce nom à aujourd'hui..."

Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous?
"J'ai vraiment adoré ce livre et il fut une lecture de complément parfaite avec London dont je vous parlais la semaine dernière. L'auteur a été, je pense, particulièrement bien choisi. Tout d'abord, il explique les évènements de façon claire et plutôt impartiale je trouve, il n'hésite pas d'ailleurs à critiquer le caractère de certains héros anglais (Nelson, Nightingale) ou à admettre les horreurs parfois commises par les Britanniques (le génocide Tasmanien). Mais son point fort est sans conteste l'humour. Cette lecture était non seulement passionnante mais j'ai ri, vraiment, pas juste souri... Quel meilleur moyen pour apprendre!! Je pense qu'il faudrait l'offrir à certains professeurs d'Histoire! Au cours de ma lecture j'ai d'ailleurs pris plaisir moi-même à relater nombre d'anecdotes à mon entourage et je suis d'ailleurs ravie d'avoir donné envie à certains de le lire. J'espère que ce sera également le cas ici!"

Et comment cela s'est-il fini?
"Mon seul regret est le même que la semaine dernière: je sais que je ne retiendrai pas un dixième de ce que j'ai lu et cela me navre. Mais c'est le genre de livre que l'on peut également consulter ou lire par petits morceaux et j'aurai plaisir à le rouvrir à l'avenir."


http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...

[Mel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know this is one of the For Dummies books, but it was so dumbed down and patronising that I didn't feel as though I learned anything. Far more so than other books in the series I have read.
Personally I didn't like all the use of slang and informalities, but I can see how that would appeal to teenagers.

I would seriously think twice before reading a For Dummies book as a refresher or for an introduction to a topic.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, funny and easy read. Starts at the Ice Age and ends with Tony Blair. Just a quick brush up to help you identify which areas to explore in depth. Written in a talky, funny manner. For example a family tree of the Tudors shows the following for Mary, Queen of Scots husbands 2 and 3.... "2 Henry, Lord Darnley (horrible man, horribly murdered) 3 James, Lord Bothwell (who probably did it)

[Noraa Sii · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Galileo observed the heavens and noted down what he saw, which led him to a very important conclusion: The earth moves round the sun and not vice versa. This observation got him into serious trouble with the Pope and the Inquisition. Galileo observed, he noted down what he saw, and he drew reasoned conclusions. That exercise may sound fairly obvious, but at the time when the Church expected people to accept its teachings without question, working things out like that was dynamite. The big question was, can we observe and deduce the existence of God? Now people were beginning to wonder was there a God? And if so, how could anyone be certain of what he was saying?"

"John Locke believed that we become good/bad/great/small/winners/losers by our own actions and not by anything we are born with. The world is at your feet, my friend, Seize the day!"

"The English couldn't understand why anyone would choose to be Catholic. In their view, all those statues and all that incense just kept people poor and subservient while their priests gorged themselves and got up to no good behind convent walls."

"Anyone writing about the British Empire nowadays has a problem. On the one hand, the Empire was an appalling story of greed, cruelty, massacre, genocide, theft, and pretty cynical self-interest by white Europeans exploiting weaker people all over the world. But Empire was also a tale of high hopes and dreams, of enormous energy and enterprise, of people who really believe they were making the world a better place and helping those less fortunate than themselves."

"The convicts were treated like animals, even though the only crime some of them had committed was stealing a loaf of bread to feed their family at home. When these prisoners were released, they simply pushed the Aborigines off their land. But the situation was much, much worse in Tasmania. Tasmania's a small island with lots of poisonous snakes, so the British thought it was the ideal place to dump their hardest criminals. These 'bushrangers', as they were called, hunted the Aborigines for sport - with official encouragement. Within seventy years the Aborigines were dead. All of them. I you want an example of genocide, British Tasmania is a good place to start."

"The British, of course, didn't like all these foreigners moving in on 'their' area, so they started taking more land, too. Sometimes they set up companies, like the Royal Niger Company which created Nigeria by drawing straight lines on maps right through different tribes areas. This arbitrary creation is why Nigeria fell apart in civil war in 1967 and why Nigeria remains a deeply divided country to this day."

[T.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Wolf Hall ( let's not get into my view of that book) I realised I knew less about British history than I thought. Then I remembered I had purchased this book years ago to give me an overview to decide what period of history to read about first but never read it (damn you fiction books). So I dusted it off and started to read it. I read a little bit each day as of course once I started to read it was the point all my library reservations came in.

It is very much an overview so if you want an in depth history go elsewhere. For me it was an easy book to read for five or ten minutes when I had chance. I learnt a few things I didn't know which is good. A few things made me wonder about the author and his opinion of the British. I've always considered history factual but as he puts it history is really opinions. Which fits with the saying 'history is written by the victors'. I guess history is a mesh of both facts and how people interpret them.

Anyway worth a read if you don't know much, made me want to read more history books but not sure where I'll go next.

[David D. Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the audiobook more than the paperback—the humour comes across much better when spoken.

If your knowledge of British history is patchy (as mine was in 2022), this serves as an accessible introduction. However, don't expect to retain much detail—it moves quickly from year to year and topic to topic, with a light touch on the facts, stats, and dates. The weakest parts, for me, were the discussions on the Colonial era, which largely passed me by and left little impression. The sections on religion and the Industrial Revolution, however, were more focused and engaging.

Pick it up if you're new to the subject but unsure where to start. Skim the chapters, see what interests you, and then look into more focused books.

[Naz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read! I devoured it from the stone age to the 2000s. If you are into the history of Britain but don't know where to start, or having difficulty putting together bits and pieces of information, this book might be just what you're looking for. It gives a timeline filled with riveting details and humour, and puts a cherry on the top with the fact-checking and 'From past to present' parts.

[Miles Hamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is incredibly unfair, as I thought the execution was perfect. Sean Lang has achieved the impossible, and produced a fine whistle stop tour of the British Isles’ history. It’s just, as going through, I realised the impossibility of it all. Can barely recall so much as an act of parliament, let alone an entire invasion.

In short, great book from a silly idea.

[Chris Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good overview of the long sweep of British history. I read this in anticipation of a tour of UK and it greatly enhanced my understanding of the locations we visited. Written in a funny and informative way I would recommend this book for anyone interested in brushing up on their British history.

[Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a great overview. The sections I wished had more information let me pinpoint which areas of British history I should read more about.

[Mr Alan Cockcroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every British child should get this book for Christmas. The British History in a nut shell.

[Aida Saldana Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun to read!
Highly recommended!

[Elif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly objective and easy read for a quick outlook on British History.
I wish there was more info about civil wars (Reps vs Royalists) and foundation of parliament, Houses, etc...

[Anr706 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stopped reading after 18 chapters. So far it’s essentially a tedious game of thrones for the British Isles. Haven’t learned anything useful so far.

[Alex Arias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es la lectura obligatoria de Historia de primero de carrera. Podría decir que me lo he leído.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good but crammed too much in, needed to be longer or separated into separate books

[Linda Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book to read. I didn't want a long, complicated book. It was good for me. I have low vision concerns and a large print version would have been better.

[Brian Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book

[Kim Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summary of British history not taking itself too seriously. How much more British can we get?

[Bill Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the entire book and I RARELY do that. The book on audible is a funny irreverent look at British history that is entertaining and educational. A rare feat.

[Katarina Janoskova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, just what I was after.
History is often too hard to get into. So many names, families. Some interesting bits but lots of dull and hard to follow decades.
This one is often funny, which lightens the book up and breaks the monotony of 'just one damn thing after another'.

[Troy Parfitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apart from a fondness for iron bridges, the belief that cricket is exciting, and the mistaken view that the Chinese have a curse which goes 'may you live in interesting times' (there is no such phrase in Chinese), this is a cracking good book. It's well written and, well, just really damned good. Very interesting, as least to me, a Canadian. I got a bit tired (and confused) about all the kings and queens, and wished for a little more "common" history, but, well, people like reading about kings and queens, as the author notes. It was really interesting to see the, er, constancy of human behaviour throughout the centuries. You could call British history a few thousand years of conflict and struggle. I also appreciated the balance of talking about Ireland, Scotland, and Wales (Lang gives them their due) and all the bits about British imperialism. There's just so much information here. All the sidebars are interesting, and so is a section at the end dedicated to places in Britain you might want to visit, really important British people (you may have never heard of), documents which changed everything, etc. I'd like to read Lang's European History for Dummies, too. British History for Dummies provides a very good overview. Once you read it, you can pick out the bits you find engaging, and then delve into them. A great book. Thank you very much!

Troy Parfitt is the author of Why China Will Never Rule the World

[Sho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided that I didn't know enough about British history so I looked around for something to fill the gap. This is the one I chose, being familiar with the Dummies books from my early days fighting with computers and Microsoft Windows.

It starts with the Ice age and finishes with Tony Blair and just about covers everything in between. There is a bit of Welsh, Scottish and Irish history thrown in which is a bit of a relief, but probably not enough. It's the type of book that is supposed to be dipped in and out of but I really wanted to read it from start to finish so I did.

Typically for the Dummies genre it dispenses knowledge in small chunks with lots of icons and sidebars to divide it up into bite-sized pieces. There isn't much of a discussion of the underlying causes of the events, but then it doesn't pretend to be an in-depth analysis of history - given the scope it covers if it did that it would have to be issued in several volumes. But as a starting point for historical facts it's a good one.

It threw up a few events and people that I'd like to investigate more. So... job done.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a tough read. I suspect it was a tough book to write and edit. First, what to include? I think it would be difficult to decide what to include and what to leave out. It seems to me that those decisions were made fairly well. Overall, this book is a good starting point for an overview of British history. My main criticism of this book, was there was quite a bit of jumping around in time to attempt to explain things. It made the book seem a bit awkward. For something of this scope, it would have been easier to read if it was on a stricter timeline. This is the type of book that would be good to keep around as a reference.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sound and playful. I liked it. :)

There's little chance I will remember much of the information because there really is much more history than I anticipated, and this is the abbreviated version!

But I love having a summary of British history as a reference so I can work off of it and find my own in-depth sources to fill in the gaps. This book mostly addresses English history, but it touches on EVERYONE else too(her neighbors plusChina, Russia, Iraq, France, Spain...), as England did. Highly recommended.

[Anjanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the For Dummies series because they give you a quick overview of a vast topic in language that is easy to understand and with a hint of humor. Unfortunately humor is a subjective thing. Reading some of these books straight through can go from mildly amusing to eye-rolling groaners at the end of practically every paragraph, making any further reading tedious. This book is NOT one of those books. The author doesn't abuse the humor, using it only sparingly, which makes it a very enjoyable read.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text is packed full of interesting information about the United Kingdom, and the surrounding countries and territories therein. If the reader where perhaps writing an essay, or research project on the aforementioned country, this would be a most beneficial book to indulge in. However, if the reader is only interested in this knowledge for historical purposes, I suggest something a little more in depth and professional.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a brilliant concept this is. Who would have thought that books titled "For Dummies" would be such a hit? I needed a primer on British history in order to tackle Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. This was a great way to learn some quick history in a painless manner. There is a lot of humor and a warning when things are too technical. The Dummies books aren't a replacement for thorough study but they sure help a novice.