The English and Their History

De: Robert Tombs

Narrado por: James Langton

Robert Tombs' momentous The English and Their History is both a startlingly fresh and a uniquely inclusive account of the people who have a claim to be the oldest nation in the world. The English first came into existence as an idea, before they had a common ruler and before the country they lived in even had a name. They have lasted as a recognizable entity ever since, and their defining national institutions can be traced back to the earliest years of their history.

The English have come a long way from those first precarious days of invasion and conquest, with many spectacular changes of fortune. Their political, economic, and cultural contacts have left traces for good and ill across the world. This book describes their history and its meanings, from their beginnings in the monasteries of Northumbria and the wetlands of Wessex to the cosmopolitan energy of today's England. Tombs draws out important threads running through the story, including participatory government, language, law, religion, the land and the sea, and ever-changing relations with other peoples.

©2014 Robert Tombs (P)2016 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"European history buffs and readers undaunted by a 1,000-page history will find a lucid, engaging, and pleasantly nondidactic book, with helpful maps." ( Kirkus)

An Anglophile history of england

If you could sum up The English and Their History in three words, what would they be?

anglophilic political drama

What other book might you compare The English and Their History to and why?

A similar concept, though far more in depth is Churchill's history of the English speaking peoples. Ironically Churchill's history does far less to cover up the insults and atrocities of the English on the world at large. The English and Their History tries to downplay the claims that the English kept a violently imperialist thumb over India and that the the Irish potato famine was exacerbated by the English parliament as a means of genocide.

What about James Langton’s performance did you like?

He adequately captured the often light hearted tone of several of the asides, something often difficult during a long historical reading.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was quite fascinated by the authors insights into the development of the English language. He makes a concerted effort to focus on political, social, and literary changes and avoids getting lost in lengthy analyses of wars and battles as many historians do.

Any additional comments?

This book, for the most part, focuses on England after the Norman conquest. If you are looking for an earlier history this is not for you. Also, the author goes all the way up to events in 2013, so if you have an active interest in English or British politics you may want to skip the last 3 hours or so.

Simply OUTSTANDING.

I am ready to listen again for another 43 hrs and 15 mins, it is so well narrated. Good job, James Langton!

Comprehensive and Interesting

Easily the most enjoyable way I have ever learned about history. I have listened to and read plenty of other histories and this is the best by far. The author and narrator do an excellent job of keeping it detailed comprehensive and interesting.

An encyclopedic treatment of English History

This was detailed, but it was consistently interesting. Well worth the time to listen. It includes interpretations as well as factoids, but I felt these were reached on the basis of carefully weighing the evidence.

A great history for someone who is not English

Tombs’s account of “The English” takes both a cultural and events based perspective on the nation. In some portions it is a strict recanting of events, and in others, an analysis of how English character or identity was impacted. Without having in-depth knowledge of British politics, Tombs seems to take a centrist view for particularly explosive events and seems to detail what people thought as opposed to what he thinks.

As it is a history of the English by an English author, there is about as much nationalist twinge as one might expect. This might be a problem for those looking for an entirely honest analysis of English mistakes and impacts, as an American reader looking for another perspective I found it to be exactly what I was looking for. Particularly after 1700, I found the perspective to be eye-opening. As the British have been a US ally, I expected to hear largely the same story to that which I heard throughout my schooling. However there were a multitude of differences even in the analysis of the World Wars. The breakdown of these conflicts was more detailed than US high school classes and many college courses (or at least the perspective change told me things I did nor know).

Don’t expect a critical analysis of international actions made by the English, but this history was nonetheless informative and thorough across cultural, religious, geographical, political, and economic narratives.

I found the reader to be altogether emotive and enjoyable, but as one might expect from a 40 hour history book with no dialogue, his voice got dreary at times. Still highly recommend!