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Northerners: A History
A Times Bestseller
A Waterstones ‘Book You Need to Read in 2022’
The definitive history of the North of England as told through the lives of its inhabitants.
A work of unrivalled scale and ambition, Northerners is the defining biography of northern England.
This authoritative new history of place and people lays out the dramatic events that created the north – waves of migration, invasions and battles, and transformative changes wrought on European culture and the global economy. In a sweeping narrative that takes us from the earliest times to the present day, the book shows that the people of the north have shaped Britain and the world in unexpected ways.
At least six Roman emperors ruled from York. The Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria was Europe’s leading cultural and intellectual centre. Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes, deserves to be as famous as Boudica. Neanderthals and Vikings, Central European Jews, African-Caribbeans and South Asians, have all played their part in the making and remaking of the north. Northern writers, activists, artists and comedians are celebrated the world over, from Wordsworth, the Brontes and Gaskell to LS Lowry, Emmeline Pankhurst and Peter Kay. St Oswald and Bede shaped the spiritual and cultural landscapes of Britain and Europe, and the world was revolutionised by the inventions of Richard Arkwright and the Stephensons. The north has exported some of sport’s biggest names and defined the sound of generations, from the Beatles to Britpop.
Northerners also shows convincingly how the past echoes down the centuries. The devastation of factory and pit closures in the 1980s, for example, recalled the trauma of William the Conqueror’s Harrying of the North. The book charts how the north-south divide has ebbed and flowed and explores the very real divisions between northerners, such as the rivalry between Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Finally, Brian Groom explores what northernness means today and the crucial role the north can play in Britain’s future. As new forces threaten the fabric of the UK again, this landmark book could scarcely be more timely.
A Waterstones ‘Book You Need to Read in 2022’
The definitive history of the North of England as told through the lives of its inhabitants.
A work of unrivalled scale and ambition, Northerners is the defining biography of northern England.
This authoritative new history of place and people lays out the dramatic events that created the north – waves of migration, invasions and battles, and transformative changes wrought on European culture and the global economy. In a sweeping narrative that takes us from the earliest times to the present day, the book shows that the people of the north have shaped Britain and the world in unexpected ways.
At least six Roman emperors ruled from York. The Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria was Europe’s leading cultural and intellectual centre. Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes, deserves to be as famous as Boudica. Neanderthals and Vikings, Central European Jews, African-Caribbeans and South Asians, have all played their part in the making and remaking of the north. Northern writers, activists, artists and comedians are celebrated the world over, from Wordsworth, the Brontes and Gaskell to LS Lowry, Emmeline Pankhurst and Peter Kay. St Oswald and Bede shaped the spiritual and cultural landscapes of Britain and Europe, and the world was revolutionised by the inventions of Richard Arkwright and the Stephensons. The north has exported some of sport’s biggest names and defined the sound of generations, from the Beatles to Britpop.
Northerners also shows convincingly how the past echoes down the centuries. The devastation of factory and pit closures in the 1980s, for example, recalled the trauma of William the Conqueror’s Harrying of the North. The book charts how the north-south divide has ebbed and flowed and explores the very real divisions between northerners, such as the rivalry between Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Finally, Brian Groom explores what northernness means today and the crucial role the north can play in Britain’s future. As new forces threaten the fabric of the UK again, this landmark book could scarcely be more timely.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
July 19, 2022
I really, really wanted to like this book. Northern publisher publishing a Northern author writing about the North. Sounded like a winning formula to me. And yet... there was something missing from this book as I did not really enjoy reading it. I kept trying to identify what it was that was lacking in the book that made it more of a chore to read than a pleasure, before deciding that what the book was lacking was a bit of heart.
I appreciate having to condense thousands of years of history into around 330 or so pages represents something of a challenge, yet at times the more read more like something of a curated list of points of interest in Northern history, than a compelling narrative about the North. Sometimes, there were lists of statistics or dates, or comparative data with the South with very little analysis to complement or comment on the data. Some of it could have done with some editing and proof-reading.
It may have been me, but I much prefer a bit more story in what is a narrative history. At times, the book got tantalisingly close to taking the reader there, with the story of Cartimandua from the Roman times, and the story of Grace Darling from the nineteenth century being proffered as examples of Northern spirit and Northern women. But at other times, important figures from history are simply listed, with what made them peculiarly Northern often not explored. I have to confess to feeling somewhat frustrated at the dismissive treatment of Catherine Cookson, who was so much more than an author of sagas. Her philanthropic legacy alone should have merited something more. Charles Dickens (not Northern) got more mentions than she did.
There were also little asides that say something about what it is to be Northern that didn't align with my own perceptions of the North and Northern history. The references to the flat cap wearing were also lacking something of a contextual explanation. It may be just me, but I remember when I asked my grandad why he always wore a cap he said that it was something that miners did because before there were helmets it was all to easy to scrape your head on the roof in places where the mine wasn't particularly high. And then I guess it became something of an identifier representing a sense of community for the miners?
What I have taken from the book is a list of things I would like to read further on. Thankfully the footnotes and the select bibliography have given me somewhere to go next in my exploration of Northern history. (On that note, I think the book could have done with a map of the North at the beginning for those that are less familiar with Northern geography).
Northerners are so much more than what this book suggests. And despite the negativity with which the book ends, the North is not doomed to repeat a cycle of failing to evaluate and learn from our history. We know who we are and where we come from and we are proud of that. The failures of a centralised government based in London are not our failures.
I appreciate having to condense thousands of years of history into around 330 or so pages represents something of a challenge, yet at times the more read more like something of a curated list of points of interest in Northern history, than a compelling narrative about the North. Sometimes, there were lists of statistics or dates, or comparative data with the South with very little analysis to complement or comment on the data. Some of it could have done with some editing and proof-reading.
It may have been me, but I much prefer a bit more story in what is a narrative history. At times, the book got tantalisingly close to taking the reader there, with the story of Cartimandua from the Roman times, and the story of Grace Darling from the nineteenth century being proffered as examples of Northern spirit and Northern women. But at other times, important figures from history are simply listed, with what made them peculiarly Northern often not explored. I have to confess to feeling somewhat frustrated at the dismissive treatment of Catherine Cookson, who was so much more than an author of sagas. Her philanthropic legacy alone should have merited something more. Charles Dickens (not Northern) got more mentions than she did.
There were also little asides that say something about what it is to be Northern that didn't align with my own perceptions of the North and Northern history. The references to the flat cap wearing were also lacking something of a contextual explanation. It may be just me, but I remember when I asked my grandad why he always wore a cap he said that it was something that miners did because before there were helmets it was all to easy to scrape your head on the roof in places where the mine wasn't particularly high. And then I guess it became something of an identifier representing a sense of community for the miners?
What I have taken from the book is a list of things I would like to read further on. Thankfully the footnotes and the select bibliography have given me somewhere to go next in my exploration of Northern history. (On that note, I think the book could have done with a map of the North at the beginning for those that are less familiar with Northern geography).
Northerners are so much more than what this book suggests. And despite the negativity with which the book ends, the North is not doomed to repeat a cycle of failing to evaluate and learn from our history. We know who we are and where we come from and we are proud of that. The failures of a centralised government based in London are not our failures.
August 28, 2022
Whilst always interesting for its vast collection of facts, this is not a very good history book. It starts well enough taking us from the early days up to the Industral Revolution, but then it rather loses its way, turning into a set of lists of people and events without enough linkages and commentary and gallops through the last twenty years. I think the structure of the book was not well enough thought out and the writing is not sufficiently effective to compensate for the structural weaknesses which allow for a lot of repetition. Disappointing.
October 20, 2022
This is a good solid overview of the north of England from the Neolithic to the present day. As you can imagine, packing that much history into 432 pages means it’s a bit of a whistle stop tour, so we never get into too much depth. But it is a good starting point for further research.
Being a northerner myself, I was pleased to realise how much I already knew about the north, although if you’re new to the subject you could find all the names and places mentioned a bit overwhelming. Definitely have a map of the north of England handy. Still, it’s great to see a book concentrating on northern history, as so many British history books gloss over the north and almost completely focus on the south.
Being a northerner myself, I was pleased to realise how much I already knew about the north, although if you’re new to the subject you could find all the names and places mentioned a bit overwhelming. Definitely have a map of the north of England handy. Still, it’s great to see a book concentrating on northern history, as so many British history books gloss over the north and almost completely focus on the south.
May 31, 2022
Trying to write an objective review is daft, so I'm gonna openly admit to being extremely biased towards this book.
I've read a decent amount of history, but this was the first time I read a history book about where I am from. And it was brilliant. Brian Groom has written a very accessible account of the north of England. From Alan the Dinosaur, the oldest sauropod in the UK, through to Cartimandua, Demdike, Richard Arkwright, Josephine Butler, Elizabeth Gaskell and Simon Armitage. This is a broad history. It offers a pop history of the north in a way which I hope engages younger and older readers alike. For myself, there's a little too much narrative here, with a very casual analysis.
What sets the book apart is the scale and geographical focus. Groom does an excellent job of bouncing around topics, and his skills really flourish in later chapters. When diving into a very particular aspect of the north's history, such as migration, leisure or even sheep farming, Groom's broad historical brush strokes pay off dividends. He gets to leap across centuries and pull together different parts of northern history which a narrower focus wouldn't allow. It makes for a fun read and is perfect for anybody wanting a neat overview of the region. It also embraces the scenery of the north, and Groom's accounts of Liverpool, the Pennines, Northumbria and Manchester are all very evocative.
As I said, this is not an analytical account, and some of the thornier issues of northern identity are side stepped. There is also a little bit too much polishing over historical events which would make for a more interesting book. Rather than interrogating northern identity, Groom's aim here seems to be to present the identity in the first place. Instead of over analysing historical turns or unknotting historiographies, Groom is telling the story of the north of England. How it began, what happened and why it is what it is today. It's a simple, effective history book which could be read by anyone with an interest. As it should be.
Overall, I am very biased to like this book. It is about my home, telling stories I know and stories I didn't, with a very, very pretty cover. I'd recommend it to absolutely everyone.
I've read a decent amount of history, but this was the first time I read a history book about where I am from. And it was brilliant. Brian Groom has written a very accessible account of the north of England. From Alan the Dinosaur, the oldest sauropod in the UK, through to Cartimandua, Demdike, Richard Arkwright, Josephine Butler, Elizabeth Gaskell and Simon Armitage. This is a broad history. It offers a pop history of the north in a way which I hope engages younger and older readers alike. For myself, there's a little too much narrative here, with a very casual analysis.
What sets the book apart is the scale and geographical focus. Groom does an excellent job of bouncing around topics, and his skills really flourish in later chapters. When diving into a very particular aspect of the north's history, such as migration, leisure or even sheep farming, Groom's broad historical brush strokes pay off dividends. He gets to leap across centuries and pull together different parts of northern history which a narrower focus wouldn't allow. It makes for a fun read and is perfect for anybody wanting a neat overview of the region. It also embraces the scenery of the north, and Groom's accounts of Liverpool, the Pennines, Northumbria and Manchester are all very evocative.
As I said, this is not an analytical account, and some of the thornier issues of northern identity are side stepped. There is also a little bit too much polishing over historical events which would make for a more interesting book. Rather than interrogating northern identity, Groom's aim here seems to be to present the identity in the first place. Instead of over analysing historical turns or unknotting historiographies, Groom is telling the story of the north of England. How it began, what happened and why it is what it is today. It's a simple, effective history book which could be read by anyone with an interest. As it should be.
Overall, I am very biased to like this book. It is about my home, telling stories I know and stories I didn't, with a very, very pretty cover. I'd recommend it to absolutely everyone.
April 20, 2022
Okay, Look! I'm going to be a little biased about this book as a Northerner. But I thought it was absolutely cracking! This was a genuine history of the North, with its struggles and its triumphs. Brian Groom didn't pull any punches both showing the problematic issues that the North has been a part of as well as giving praise where praise is due. For me, this was a true depiction of the north from bits of shameful truth, hardship, inequality, diversity and with a sprinkle of hilarity. The only thing I wish could have been added would have been a chapter on the LGBT history of the North. Queer figures were mentioned, such as David Hockney. However, I would have liked to have seen a chapter on Queer figures from the North to give this book its full potential. But I still found this an excellent read! However biased I am!!
October 31, 2024
A whistle-stop history of Briain covering 2000+ years in 336 pages told through the prism of the north of England. At times a fast-paced canter (the whole Viking period covered in one chapter) out of necessity but at other times a slightly more leisurely-paced wander (a whole chapter on leisure activities in the Victorian period). Full of fascinating facts and a roll call of great northerners, this is an enjoyable read about a wonderful part of the world, its people, and how it has helped to shape and be shaped by the wider world. A perfect starting point to discover more.
April 21, 2023
Groom sets out to create a proper history of the north of England and the people that identify as northerners. It encompasses the period when humans first established themselves on this island up to now so covers a rather broad timespan. For an overview it's brilliantly done and you can always delve more into the bits you found most interesting.
March 2, 2026
I picked up this book specifically because it's based in the north. Obviously, I'm incredibly biased being a Geordie, so those were the moments within the book that I was particularly drawn to. I take pride in the entirety of the North, despite being based in the North East, and its history.
This book was certainly interesting, and I learned some things I hadn't come across before, but it was definitely a lot to slug through. I found myself having to take regular breaks, which turned into me abandoning the book for a few days, before I eventually found the will to finish it.
Nonetheless, this is a great read if you love history and learning.
This book was certainly interesting, and I learned some things I hadn't come across before, but it was definitely a lot to slug through. I found myself having to take regular breaks, which turned into me abandoning the book for a few days, before I eventually found the will to finish it.
Nonetheless, this is a great read if you love history and learning.
December 16, 2025
Thought it would be a good time to look into the history of my home land, I have a good knowledge of the industrial revolution and coal mining through family but my knowledge stops there.
I thought the first third of this book up until the industrial revolution was fantastic, the book sadly falters after that, seeming like it was in need of some heavy editing. I know with a history book it can be difficult to prevent, but it began to read like an index of facts, being honest I can barely remember anything from the last half of the book due to the amount of names, places, dates it throws at you without any narrative or context.
I thought the first third of this book up until the industrial revolution was fantastic, the book sadly falters after that, seeming like it was in need of some heavy editing. I know with a history book it can be difficult to prevent, but it began to read like an index of facts, being honest I can barely remember anything from the last half of the book due to the amount of names, places, dates it throws at you without any narrative or context.
July 18, 2023
BLOOD AND SAND: that was a lot to take in! This was an in-depth look into how the North has been shaped through the ages. From The Vikings to Marcus Rashford. From the North-South divide to why the bloody hell people just used to kill each other all the time.
Fascinating but definitely lost me a bit in places. Four sexy stars.
Fascinating but definitely lost me a bit in places. Four sexy stars.
May 20, 2024
Obvious bias aside, I really enjoyed this book. It was well-researched and even more well written. Brian Groom has a clear writing style which conveys information I have never read before. Groom traces the history of England's northern region from the beginning of the Earth to the present day. It is massive in scope, but Groom manages the time equally. None of the book ever felt dull, though, even the periods that do not particularly interest me.
That being said, I wish Groom had gone into a little more detail in places. This study could never go into too much depth, but I felt the absence of some chapters. In particular, since my research involves crime, Groom says nothing about the Moors Murders or the Yorkshire Ripper, significant parts of the North's history, whether it likes it or not. This criticism is personal, however. The only other criticism I have is that there was some repeated information towards the end of the book. It would have been better if Groom only wrote new information instead of repeating points made in previous chapters.
None of this hindered my enjoyment of the book, however. I would recommend it to anyone interested in northern history. This was also Groom's first published book. I would love to read more from this author in the future!
That being said, I wish Groom had gone into a little more detail in places. This study could never go into too much depth, but I felt the absence of some chapters. In particular, since my research involves crime, Groom says nothing about the Moors Murders or the Yorkshire Ripper, significant parts of the North's history, whether it likes it or not. This criticism is personal, however. The only other criticism I have is that there was some repeated information towards the end of the book. It would have been better if Groom only wrote new information instead of repeating points made in previous chapters.
None of this hindered my enjoyment of the book, however. I would recommend it to anyone interested in northern history. This was also Groom's first published book. I would love to read more from this author in the future!
June 3, 2022
Such an enjoyable and educational book! Straightforward style, humour and a real feel for the communities of the North.
October 6, 2022
I don't have a huge amount to say about this book, if I'm being totally honest. I think it was a good starter to learning some of the history of Northern England but it was also frustrating for me to read.
Brian Groom's writing is fine, but he does this thing where he'll mention something really interesting then spend maybe two sentences on it, when I know from prior knowledge and further research that he could have spent some time with it and it would have been an interesting read. Sometimes he was literally just listing events and people. Yeah, I now have a list of things to read more about, but I kind of would have liked to read about them here. I just think this book is too small to try to cover so much history of such a large portion of the country.
The way the book is structured threw me off at times too because it jumps around in time an awful lot due to tangents but, to be honest, that is a minor qualm.
I guess I would recommend this if you want somewhere to start with Northern History but I think books about specific regions and/or time periods would probably be better.
Brian Groom's writing is fine, but he does this thing where he'll mention something really interesting then spend maybe two sentences on it, when I know from prior knowledge and further research that he could have spent some time with it and it would have been an interesting read. Sometimes he was literally just listing events and people. Yeah, I now have a list of things to read more about, but I kind of would have liked to read about them here. I just think this book is too small to try to cover so much history of such a large portion of the country.
The way the book is structured threw me off at times too because it jumps around in time an awful lot due to tangents but, to be honest, that is a minor qualm.
I guess I would recommend this if you want somewhere to start with Northern History but I think books about specific regions and/or time periods would probably be better.
January 29, 2025
Putting my own prejudices and tastes aside, I’m happy to accept that the author doesn’t view the world (or the north) through the same lens as me. There were one or two ‘crunched gear’ moments for me where it was obvious that the author and I have a different take, but these were quite few.
This is an admirable work in its scale - it’s absolutely huge -but I would say that it was such a high level overview that there wasn’t ever any sense of narrative or what I would describe as “heart’ in the work.
Lots of dates; lots of people; he said, she said - move on. It was a bit like doing a botany lesson through a moving car window. You might cover a lot of ground, but you never get to see anything in much detail. Quite often, events or personalities that I would have considered absolutely pivotal were mentioned in passing. Other times the flow gets stuck on points of detail that don’t seem to add much value. But it’s Groom’s book - not mine - and I’m not about to suggest that I could do any better.
And this is kind of where the whole thing fell short. Despite name-checking key individuals from the Bronze Age to Covid; despite referencing numerous books, plays battles and industries, the book never gives the impression of speaking through its subject matter. It was a catalogue, rather than a love letter, and my own lack of connection to the book was an inevitable outcome.
Did I learn much? Probably not as much as I expected. Thankfully there’s a good bibliography that will help me dive deeper into areas of interest. It’s a matter of taste, but for entertainment, I much prefer the intimate, story-driven style of Sandbrook Dominic
This is an admirable work in its scale - it’s absolutely huge -but I would say that it was such a high level overview that there wasn’t ever any sense of narrative or what I would describe as “heart’ in the work.
Lots of dates; lots of people; he said, she said - move on. It was a bit like doing a botany lesson through a moving car window. You might cover a lot of ground, but you never get to see anything in much detail. Quite often, events or personalities that I would have considered absolutely pivotal were mentioned in passing. Other times the flow gets stuck on points of detail that don’t seem to add much value. But it’s Groom’s book - not mine - and I’m not about to suggest that I could do any better.
And this is kind of where the whole thing fell short. Despite name-checking key individuals from the Bronze Age to Covid; despite referencing numerous books, plays battles and industries, the book never gives the impression of speaking through its subject matter. It was a catalogue, rather than a love letter, and my own lack of connection to the book was an inevitable outcome.
Did I learn much? Probably not as much as I expected. Thankfully there’s a good bibliography that will help me dive deeper into areas of interest. It’s a matter of taste, but for entertainment, I much prefer the intimate, story-driven style of Sandbrook Dominic
May 29, 2024
Worth the while!
I read this book while traveling through the north of England, and back home again to the USA. Comprehensive, engaging, illuminating. Seems I stopped to look up interesting side references or write down a perfect quote approximately once every three pages.
There's a lot in here. Take your time and really soak it in.
(Note: I read this in print, in Kobo ebook, and using the Kobo audio book. This let me take it with me just about everywhere, which was quite handy!)
I read this book while traveling through the north of England, and back home again to the USA. Comprehensive, engaging, illuminating. Seems I stopped to look up interesting side references or write down a perfect quote approximately once every three pages.
There's a lot in here. Take your time and really soak it in.
(Note: I read this in print, in Kobo ebook, and using the Kobo audio book. This let me take it with me just about everywhere, which was quite handy!)
August 31, 2024
I really liked the idea of this book (of telling the story of a specific area over a long period of time), but I found it a little dry (I think it could have told more of a story), difficult to follow the names/dates etc. with the audiobook version and (necessarily I think) it skips about the timeline a bit which defeats what I thought was the central premise.
Overall, it does give a history of "the North" so if you want to read it, you probably won't be disappointed.
Overall, it does give a history of "the North" so if you want to read it, you probably won't be disappointed.
September 25, 2023
A fascinating rattle through the history of Northern England and Northern people. A couple of small criticisms:- there were so many Kings flying about in the Anglo-Saxon chapter that I got a bit confused. Also, more on some of the similarities with the rest of the UK, for example, I'm sure there were similarities in the development of cities like Bristol and Glasgow with Northern cities in the 19th century. But overall, I would recommend reading this if you want to understand what makes the North special and interesting and why people like me love living here.
October 11, 2025
from York and upwards through the ages, was interesting spotting all the places I know.
September 2, 2024
great book. there is so much to learn from northerners
April 8, 2024
Like some other readers I found this moderately interesting but in fact I don't think it really dealt with the key issues that mean that the North feels so different to the South and the reasons for that (and why it matters)
June 12, 2023
Like other reviewers, I was disappointed by this book. It started strong and I was fascinated by the accounts of how various kingdoms developed throughout the North, but eventually it just became a really long list of facts. It read like the notes-gathering section of a lengthy dissertation, with a lot of information that could have been pruned, a considerable amount of repetition, and very little analysis or discussion of what life was really like on the ground. At times the barrage of facts was so scattergun in its approach it was borderline offensive: one paragraph pivoted from talking about the comic strip Andy Capp to the arrest and suicide of Alan Turing with absolutely no connection, then moved on just as quickly. It had some interesting information but you really had to trawl through a huge amount of text to find it.
June 27, 2023
This easily-readable history of the north of England is not a coherent narrative. It reads as a collection of independent, semi-linked chapters rather than a free-flowing, interconnected whole. And it is a reminder that the north of England is not an easily defined entity. There is a real difficulty in writing a separate history of the north, because the north is not separate from England. The connections between the north and the south are too deep for this awkward and simplistic division. On the other hand, regional differences are more genuine, something that the book brings to light. I fear that in some sense the book wants to divide, that the author wants to leave us with uncertainty and open wounds rather than conclude with healing or at least aim towards it. On several issues.
A further, minor annoyance is the 'woke' language: things like the capitalisation of black, but not white, when referring to races, and BCE and CE over BC and AD. It is disappointing that this petty politicisation of history has crept in.
If you do buy it, it is a good read. But it is not a good history book--other books on the entirety of England can be found.
A further, minor annoyance is the 'woke' language: things like the capitalisation of black, but not white, when referring to races, and BCE and CE over BC and AD. It is disappointing that this petty politicisation of history has crept in.
If you do buy it, it is a good read. But it is not a good history book--other books on the entirety of England can be found.
February 5, 2026
My goodness me, what a RELIEF to finish this book. I found this book incredibly boring. I did not find it ‘entertaining’ as the reviews suggest on the back cover. I read another review that said it was like reading a list of facts and I 100% agree. The narrative was poorly developed and nonexistent in places, jumping about between topics and at many points actually just listing names of rulers and their children and lists of battles and deaths, lists of notable musicians or artists rather than actually telling me about the lives of the ordinary PEOPLE during those times. I have given it 2 stars simply because the author has clearly done a lot of research and I gained a few nuggets of interesting information that I went on to read about separately, but I do not feel that I have read a comprehensive, well written book.
June 20, 2024
The ice age to the present day really is quite a big time period, and potentially biting off more than can be chewed! Especially given that my historical knowledge is not all that it could be, particularly around the Middle Ages. It felt a bit more like reading a list of important things / people / events that happened, probably because there wasn’t space to develop the ideas. A more compelling narrative with inferences about what was actually going on with northern psyche and the infamous divide would have been more appreciated. But every day is a school day and learned lots about God’s country. Also bolstered my desire to visit Northumbria asap!!!
Up the Northern Powerhouse💪🏻
Up the Northern Powerhouse💪🏻
May 9, 2022
Amazing that no one has apparently written this book before, but luckily Brian Groom has now made an excellent job of filling that gap.
The North, from the early days to the present, has always been influential and important and the author reminds us of this fact in every chapter. He is a journalist so knows how to tell a story, and the stories he tells here are never less than gripping.
Highly recommended (especially to southerners).
The North, from the early days to the present, has always been influential and important and the author reminds us of this fact in every chapter. He is a journalist so knows how to tell a story, and the stories he tells here are never less than gripping.
Highly recommended (especially to southerners).
May 14, 2025
I may be biased as I am a proud Northerner.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it fascinating and was well researched. It wasn't 'dry' in its content and delivery either; the audio made it feel more like listening to a podcast than a narrated book.
Would recommend to anyone with a love of history.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it fascinating and was well researched. It wasn't 'dry' in its content and delivery either; the audio made it feel more like listening to a podcast than a narrated book.
Would recommend to anyone with a love of history.
May 20, 2022
A good book well-written, but I have found that history books are not for me. I thought the intro and the chapter on vikings was fab. Did not finish as currently in a non fiction slump, but might pick this up in hard copy in the future.
December 28, 2022
Very informative
April 14, 2023
3.5 star but gave it 4 because I'm Northern x
June 26, 2026
3 stars
★★★☆☆
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Summary:
This book provides what it says on the tin: a history of the North of England. It starts in the Ice Age, with an early human species ranging north across the land bridge of Doggerland in search of food. It then strives to explain how, from these first people, we came to develop the Northern identity that we have today, through Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes; the Kingdom of Northumbria; Bede; Hilda; the Danes; William the Conqueror; the wars against the Scots; Richard the Lionheart and King John, who followed him; the Wars of the Roses; the Tudors; the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612; the slave ports of Liverpool; the Industrial Revolution; social reformers like Josephine Butler and Emmeline Pankhurst; the effects of immigration from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and farther afield; the Victorian Age; and into the twenty-first century with our art, culture and way of life.
I would recommend this book to:
Northerners interested in their cultural identity
Big ol’ history nerds
Non-fiction readers who prefer direct factual writing
I would NOT recommend this book to:
Readers unfamiliar with English history (this is a poor entry-point!)
Anyone who needs narrative drive or regular excitement
Casual non-fiction readers who prefer voicey, funny, or emotive history writing
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My thoughts:
This book takes on an incredibly ambitious task in summarising the history of the North from the Ice Age to the modern day. The scale of that alone is something to be admired.
It is an incredibly well-researched book, packed full to bursting with information that probably took years upon years to collate. It is thorough: it cites first-hand sources wherever it can, with quotes from chronicles of the era, passages from real hymns that would have been sung, and photographs that provide visuals of what is being discussed.
Its problem is simply that it’s very, very dryly written and that, because it’s trying to condense so much, it has to quickly recite facts and then move on from each event rather than allowing you to get truly immersed in the history in the way that I feel it wants you to. This is not surprising, considering it’s trying to fit something like 450,000 years of history into a measly 336 pages (with a further 76 for references and appendices). It does as well as can be expected. However, I could only really absorb information in this book when it covered points in history that I was already familiar with (for me, the Wars of the Roses and the fighting against the Scots), and I got lost very easily when it came to the Industrial Revolution, as the book simply doesn’t have the time or space to ease you into the history.
Overall, I learned a lot of new things about my home in the North from this book and it is certainly a work with a lot of inherent value, though I cannot say that I enjoyed the experience of reading it. Clearly Brian Groom loves the North (or I doubt he’d have undertaken a project like this!) but it doesn’t shine through in this overly condensed writing. I wish he and his publisher had upped the page count by at least 100 pages, if not 100 more after that, and that this book had taken its time.
★★★☆☆
“Notherness, a state of mind as much as a feature of geography, was fashioned over millennia. Only by seeing how each stage built upon another can we know how northerners’ collective experience began to form.”
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Summary:
This book provides what it says on the tin: a history of the North of England. It starts in the Ice Age, with an early human species ranging north across the land bridge of Doggerland in search of food. It then strives to explain how, from these first people, we came to develop the Northern identity that we have today, through Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes; the Kingdom of Northumbria; Bede; Hilda; the Danes; William the Conqueror; the wars against the Scots; Richard the Lionheart and King John, who followed him; the Wars of the Roses; the Tudors; the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612; the slave ports of Liverpool; the Industrial Revolution; social reformers like Josephine Butler and Emmeline Pankhurst; the effects of immigration from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and farther afield; the Victorian Age; and into the twenty-first century with our art, culture and way of life.
I would recommend this book to:
Northerners interested in their cultural identity
Big ol’ history nerds
Non-fiction readers who prefer direct factual writing
I would NOT recommend this book to:
Readers unfamiliar with English history (this is a poor entry-point!)
Anyone who needs narrative drive or regular excitement
Casual non-fiction readers who prefer voicey, funny, or emotive history writing
──────── 🧭 ────────
My thoughts:
This book takes on an incredibly ambitious task in summarising the history of the North from the Ice Age to the modern day. The scale of that alone is something to be admired.
It is an incredibly well-researched book, packed full to bursting with information that probably took years upon years to collate. It is thorough: it cites first-hand sources wherever it can, with quotes from chronicles of the era, passages from real hymns that would have been sung, and photographs that provide visuals of what is being discussed.
Its problem is simply that it’s very, very dryly written and that, because it’s trying to condense so much, it has to quickly recite facts and then move on from each event rather than allowing you to get truly immersed in the history in the way that I feel it wants you to. This is not surprising, considering it’s trying to fit something like 450,000 years of history into a measly 336 pages (with a further 76 for references and appendices). It does as well as can be expected. However, I could only really absorb information in this book when it covered points in history that I was already familiar with (for me, the Wars of the Roses and the fighting against the Scots), and I got lost very easily when it came to the Industrial Revolution, as the book simply doesn’t have the time or space to ease you into the history.
Overall, I learned a lot of new things about my home in the North from this book and it is certainly a work with a lot of inherent value, though I cannot say that I enjoyed the experience of reading it. Clearly Brian Groom loves the North (or I doubt he’d have undertaken a project like this!) but it doesn’t shine through in this overly condensed writing. I wish he and his publisher had upped the page count by at least 100 pages, if not 100 more after that, and that this book had taken its time.
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