The Shortest History of England (The Shortest History Series)
Product ID: 323355928
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How the most powerful country in the UK was forged by invasion and conquest, and is fractured by its north-south divide. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. England―begetter of parliaments and globe-spanning empires, star of beloved period dramas, and home of the House of Windsor―is not quite the stalwart island fortress that many of us imagine. Riven by an ancient fault line that predates even the Romans, its fate has ever been bound up with that of its neighbors; and for the past millennia, it has harbored a class system like nowhere else on Earth. This bracing tour of the most powerful country in the United Kingdom reveals an England repeatedly invaded and constantly reinvented―yet always fractured by its very own Mason-Dixon Line. It carries us swiftly through centuries of conflict between Crown and Parliament (starring the Magna Carta), America’s War of Independence, the rise and fall of empire, two World Wars, and England’s break from the EU. We discover: why the American colonists of 1776 believed that they were the true Anglo-Saxons how the British Empire was undermined from within why Winston Churchill said the UK could only be saved by splitting up England itself and how populism spawned Brexit and its “new elite.” The Shortest History of England brings all this and more to prescient life―offering the most direct, compelling route to understanding the country behind today’s headlines. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. More than 150 B&W maps and images Review: Excellent! - Excellent book. It’s a must read! Review: Short but Deep - One would think that a book titled “The Shortest History of England” would be a quick glossing over of the big events; but the author James Hawes has decided to go deep and profound instead. This is a very informative and entertaining take on the history of Great Britain as a constant positioning for power amongst the different regions. Specifically it is a North-South/Celtic-English divide that set up centuries ago and has never left. The author convincingly illuminates this from start to finish. The United Kingdom does not come across as very united. This is a masterly presented book that fully deserves a Five-Star rating.
| Best Sellers Rank | #240,771 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #156 in Slavery & Emancipation History #249 in England History #434 in European Politics Books |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 285 Reviews |
M**N
Excellent!
Excellent book. It’s a must read!
R**N
Short but Deep
One would think that a book titled “The Shortest History of England” would be a quick glossing over of the big events; but the author James Hawes has decided to go deep and profound instead. This is a very informative and entertaining take on the history of Great Britain as a constant positioning for power amongst the different regions. Specifically it is a North-South/Celtic-English divide that set up centuries ago and has never left. The author convincingly illuminates this from start to finish. The United Kingdom does not come across as very united. This is a masterly presented book that fully deserves a Five-Star rating.
J**.
Not a huge fan
I read this author's other "Shortest History" book, the one about Germany, while traveling through Germany, and I was engrossed. I also found it super insightful in understanding that country. I've been to England before and I wanted to understand more about their culture and past, so I bought this book. It all started well, but after the initial explanations regarding the Danes, the Saxons, the French... the book started becoming really confusing. Towards the second half, it became a very long list of rulers, political intrigues, and other episodes that were really hard to follow. I felt like this book was written for the English, and not for people like me who're interested in the country but have almost no background on all of the events that he describes. I feel like you need to know the historical content of the events he talks about, so that you can appreciate the author's commentary on those events. After a while, I just wanted to be done with the book and had to force myself to finish it. Maybe if I had been in England at the time of reading it I'd have found it more engaging. As it is, though, I didn't really enjoy it.
B**R
terrible writing style, but short whereas some other "short" histories are not, in fact, short
terrible writing style, but short
J**.
Boring, too brief
Boring, too brief. Drawings are terrible
P**R
A good read, with reservations
Any short history is going to leave certain people and events either glossed over or omitted altogether. And while Hawes' book is certainly comprehensive in its timeline, it's really a book for those who already know something about English history and just want a quick, non-academic read. That said, for those who aren't well-versed in English history, an index and a brief glossary of people and events in a future edition would benefit the book (and its readers) greatly.
S**G
The title under-sells this very clever book
I’ve never been so eager to read a book again. Full of fascinating insights from 55 BC to the current day. I wish the author would write a long history!
J**M
a must read
certainly worth the time to better understand history and todays headlines
A**R
Super interesting
Very interesting and easy to read. Highly recommended
J**I
Confiança.
Produto entregue em perfeitas condições e dentro do prazo.
M**A
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