England: A History

by R.J. White

English history is the story of a people who first settled an island off the coast of continental Europe thousands of years ago and went on to rule most of the known world. This fascinating book spans centuries and shows how people like Richard the Lionheart and Elizabeth I and events such as the Norman Conquest and the defeat of the Spanish Armada shaped not just Britain but the world as we know it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

106 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2015

Reviews

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 2 out of 5]

The history ends after WWII. So... Full review to come

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Rating: 2 Stars

Ugh. This was a tough one to get through. The history of England is complicated to begin with. England as we know it didn't really exist until Athelstan, grandson of my buddy Alfred the Great. And even then, it wasn't exactly England yet. It kind of starts with the Norman Conquest of Anglo-Saxon England and then glosses over all the best parts of the island's history that I care about. There was no mention whatsoever of Eleanor of Aquitaine, a mere paragraph about Richard I, and a total whitewashing of John. While I am not a huge fan of ALL Plantagenets, they are highly intriguing and they did rule England for 300 years. Yet, by 40% of the book, we are already at the dawn of Stuart rule by James VI/I. This might seem like a lot at first being devoted to the Plantagenets and Tudors, but you must also consider the fact that the book ends after World War II. That's something else I can't understand but, whatever. It is hardly even worth delving into.

As an aside, it has never been lost on me that the Tudors are in fact, and always have been, Welsh - not English. yet the English seem to overlook this now? And then at the same time looked down on the Welsh? Another thing that has never made any sense to me.

This quote I did appreciate, in regards to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots: "...Elizabeth managed to look the other way until the deed was done, and like a true daughter of her house, she saw to it that her secretary, William Davison, took the blame for the execution of Mary's death warrant" (30%). Yep, exactly. Elizabeth is the WORST. The author did not justice to Mary Tudor either, but he seems to approve a bit more of Elizabeth. Either way, nothing he says is particularly positive about any of them.

Where he really lost me: at 48% he called Cromwell the 'greatest Englishman of his century'. Um. No.

Around 55%, the only things keeping me going were: 1) it was written so generally that it was still an incredibly breezy read. It was not terribly specific, and not very detailed either. 2) At the time I was also operating under the assumption that eventually we'd get to the House of Windsor, William, and Harry. Especially Harry. You can imagine my disappointment then when, as I mentioned earlier, the books ends after WWII.

89%: Blah Blah British Imperialism, snooooze.

So, I guess have at it but I can't say I really recommend this one. The history of England is far too vast and complicated for this slim a volume - even one that ends after WWII. Don't take this one too seriously if you do give it a shot.

[Paul Brereton · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sort of history

Enjoyed the book enormously, not too deep but told me lots I did not know and put everything in perspective

[Pinar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Old fashioned with a weak narrative. I purchased it because there was a deal; I'd be upset if I'd paid full price to be honest.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not quite what I expected. While I did learn some new aspects of the history of England, I had expected an introductory-level text. This book assumes the reader has a lot of base knowledge of English history, which often made it hard to follow.

The author tends to jump around a lot (often within the same paragraph) both chronologically and conceptually, which makes it difficult to follow the train of thought. Topics (eg revolutions) are often discussed in more than one section, even though a section has been specifically devoted to that topic. Terms and names, especially those only mentioned once or twice in the entire text, are provided without an explanation or any context (it is left to the reader to understand the connection to the topic being discussed). In addition, many topics seem to have been abruptly presented. While I appreciate the desire to be brief, some topics lacked enough detail to understand why they were important, whereas other topics were covered in a lot of detail, but the information provided seemed trivial. It seemed as though the author was more interested in providing lesser-known details rather than explaining the historical person/event more fully.

Having a foundational knowledge of English history before reading this book, likely would’ve increased my enjoyment of the book.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading White's brief history of England. It is useful primarily as a summary and review for readers who already know a fair amount about the topic. I don't think it would be very useful to someone with little or no prior knowledge. I picked it up mainly for an overview of medieval England while reading Shakespeare's histories, such as Richard II and Henry IV. Among other things I missed was an explanation of the relative powers of king and parliament at different times. In several places I went to Wikipedia for more information, including a time chart on English monarchs.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encapsulated

At once entertaining and informative. Excellent use of English humour and criticisms enhanced its credibility. Respectful yet honest. A very readable text for high school students of history.

[John Pitcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

I learned a lot. Several parts made me dig deeper into my thoughts and perceptions about the world, mankind and myself. Being an American, I now have a greater appreciation for my ancestry in England and its people.

[Charles Rackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthwhile reading.

This history of England is thorough and enjoyable. It gives a synopsis of England's history, and is worth reading for everyone.

[Jim Swike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads a little to much like a textbook. But still a great resource for research and / or term paper. Enjoy!

[Vivek Hurry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chatty but brief intro to the history of that ‘sceptered isle’. I would have liked it to have focused more on its scientific and cultural contributions to world history, and the colonies have been barely touched upon. But it would seem that the author’s focus was more on the royal lineage and both its importance to the British people as well as how, ironically, it became increasingly irrelevant in the political landscape.

History is necessarily a complex subject, so it’s understandable that any author would choose to focus on only some aspects. And to White’s credit this book is always readable and entertaining.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stunningly chauvinistic. Still, it was interesting reading the Brit point of view on world events. Sure glad the British were there to save the rest of civilization from itself.