A History of Britain: Volume 1

By: Simon Schama

Narrated by: Stephen Thorne

The story of Britain from the earliest settlements in 3000 BC to the death of Elizabeth I in 1603. To look back at the past is to understand the present. In this vivid account of over 4,000 years of British history, Simon Schama takes us on an epic journey which encompasses the very beginnings of the nation's identity, when the first settlers landed on Orkney.

From the successes and failures of the monarchy to the daily life of a Roman soldier stationed on Hadrian's Wall, Schama gives a vivid, fascinating account of the many different stories and struggles that lie behind the growth of our island nation. Simon Schama's major BBC2 series has shown him to be one of our most original and exciting historians.

©2012 Simon Schama (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Intriguing introduction

Would you listen to A History of Britain: Volume 1 again? Why?

Yes. The information is so packed in there. I finished this a few months ago, and I am afraid I have retained probably less than a 10th of the information.

Who was your favorite character and why?

King Alfred the Great. Brilliant.

Any additional comments?

Probably written for a British audience. Had the feeling that I was pretending to know what was happening half the time because I got disoriented in time and eras.

dense but interesting

narration was good, well written history, but, and this may be an issue with me, an American, I had a tough time caring about the leaders, who pretty much seemed to jerks across the board. Glad I didn't live back then.

A History of the English Monarchy from 1066-1603

Schama is a talented writer, and his narrative flows easily, but it is really just a popular history of the English Monarchy from William the Conqueror through Elizabeth 1. Even then, while he hits on all of the major points of that time frame, he obviously felt that there were really only a few Monarchs who deserved more than a cursory mention, leaving this very much a book in the Great Man of History tradition.

William I, Edward I, Henry II and Beckett, Henry III and Eleanor and the Tudors all get lots of press. Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Chaucer, Shakespeare, the War of the Roses, Richard III, the Crusades and many other aspects of British history are given scant mention.

Thorne does a fine job as narrator, and it is a well written book, with a sly wit, but the subtitle is a bit misleading.

Excellent history, read surprisingly well.

This book gives an excellent overview of British history through Queen Elizabeth I. The writing is careful, engaging, and learned. It is difficult to read a book like this in an engaging way, and, indeed, the reading is not completely engrossing, but it is interesting enough.

great story

easy to listen to. relaxing book. told in vignettes that make the content very digestible