The Story of Britain
1st Edition
Published on 3. May 2012
978-1-4063-4591-9 (ISBN)
Description
A definitive history of Britain which tells the story of two islands, Britain and Ireland, and all the people, Scottish, Irish, Welsh and English, who have lived in them.
A comprehensive history of Britain that delves into some edgy and less well-known events as well as shining a light on the more traditional narratives of Scottish, Irish, Welsh and English history - William the Conqueror's arrival in 1066, Magna Carta, the Great Fire of London, the execution of Charles I, the abolition of slavery, the Battle of Britain and many more, as well as all the famous characters we know and love (or hate).
This is an unillustrated edition.
A comprehensive history of Britain that delves into some edgy and less well-known events as well as shining a light on the more traditional narratives of Scottish, Irish, Welsh and English history - William the Conqueror's arrival in 1066, Magna Carta, the Great Fire of London, the execution of Charles I, the abolition of slavery, the Battle of Britain and many more, as well as all the famous characters we know and love (or hate).
This is an unillustrated edition.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for The Much-Lamented Death of Madam Geneva (Jonathan Cape):Excellent -- Andrew Marr * Daily Telegraph * Praise for The Much-Lamented Death of Madam Geneva (Jonathan Cape): Admirable detail ... serious history. -- Frank Kermode * The Guardian * Praise for The Much-Lamented Death of Madam Geneva (Jonathan Cape): A crisp, fast-paced account ... a fascinating tale, ringing with authentic voices. -- Jenny Uglow * Sunday Times * What a delight: a book combining the very best of old-fashioned values with the highest quality of modern writing. The text brings things up to the final years of the last century. -- Chris Brown - Reviews Editor * The School Librarian * A sumptuous, comprehensive history of the British Isles and its people...Beautifully done. * The Bookseller * A beautifully produced yet serious and authoritive, history of the British Isles... * The Bookseller * [The story of Britain] would be a good book for schools to have because it's interesting and older children can learn a lot from it - I know I did. * Bath Chronicle * Readers of this book...should expect action rather than academic debate and snappy one-liners rather than rambling paragraphs. * The Telegraph * This highly readable, chronological narrative is easy to dip in and out of or to power through in big gulps. Patrick Dillon highlights the important moments of "our island story" from the Battle of Hastings to the present day, with a penultimate chapter on immigration, identified as the beginning of a new era. -- Julia Eccleshare * The Guardian * Hundreds of tales from the past in concise, entertaining chapters on subjects including the Crusades, the Gunpowder Plot and the Great Fire of London, as well as both world wars... this book brings the past to life through the stories of the people who lived through the events. It goes out of its way to trace the different paths into the United Kingdom taken by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you are concerned about the decline of history teaching, a volume like this can give a child the basics in a highly entertaining format. * The Herald * All children love history if it is introduced to them in an interesting way and the tone of this book is chatty and light enough to not intimidate. Events and people are introduced in short, easily accessible chunks...the differences between Irish, English, Scottish and Welsh histories are acknowledged and there are lots of timelines to help with school projects. A really useful book to dip into. * Daily Mail * An amusing, informative, fact-packed and fun-filled book that sets out the history of our country in a simple to follow and engaging fashion...Patrick Dillon has delivered the Holy Grail. * www.schoolhousemagazine.co.uk * A very readable introduction to an enormous subject * Booklist * This is an excellent and approachable resource for students beginning research on major topics in British history. * Library Media Connection * Reviewed * San Francisco Chronicle * Featured/recommended * You Know, For Kids Blog *
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 10 to 14 years
ISBN-13
978-1-4063-4591-9 (9781406345919)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Patrick Dillon is the author of two highly acclaimed history books for adults: The Last Revolution and The Much-Lamented Death of Madam Geneva. On writing The Story of Britain, he says, "I first fell in love with history through stories, and, thirty years later, found that they were stories my children loved too. I decided it was time to write a new history and take that journey again. I wanted The Story of Britain to show that what happened in the past happened to real people, to put across all the different things it means to be British, and to explain how the stories I loved made us who we are today." Patrick Dillon won a scholarship to Cambridge to read English but chose to read architecture at University College London, specializing in architectural history. He became an architect and has just completed the restoration of the Snape Maltings concert hall in Suffolk. Patrick lives in London with his wife and children.
