The Story of Britain

As an American who has spent some time studying US history, beginning to study British history can be an intimidating task - there's just so much there compared to what we're used to. In "The Story of Britain" Roy Strong tackles the ambitious task of covering all of that history in one book. It is somewhat inevitable that it is tough to digest much of the content in one reading. You fly through Celts, Romans, Saxons, and Normans; skip from George to Henry, to Richard, to Elizabeth, then Mary and back again; meet Walpole and Cromwell and Chamberlain and Churchill not to mention Chaucer and Shakespeare. Frankly, it's a bit overwhelming. That said - this seems like a great place to begin a study of British history; just enough to give you some context for deeper reading to come, or as a capstone of sorts for someone who has read a lot of British History and is looking for a way to draw it all together. This book sets out to cover all of British recorded history in a managable length and does it with all of the weaknesses that have to come along with that approach. That's not an indictment, this is a good book, but it's really not adequate to read on its own for someone who wants a deep understanding of British history. Its author tells you as much in the intro.

I can't recommend this enough--concise,clear well written ,and accessible .The chapters covering the British Civil Wars and the aftermath are worth the price of the book alone.The author's genius can be seen here--he takes VERY complex social ,religious ,and political events and concisely unravels them to inform and enlighten the reader on what actually happened .I've read Schama's 3 volumes and enjoyed his work immensely,but with Strong I actually learned British History--Well done,very well done.

I am a mother of three children and have historical questions thrown at me each week. After a long search I found Roy Strong's,excellently written The Story of Britian, it is easy to understand, no waffle, clear and concise, the perfect book for quick referance on history. It is the ideal starting point for any historical matter, from 55B.C. to the postscript beyond 1990. A valuable book for all households with children.