A Shortened History of England

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A great overview - but perhaps showing its age just a bit - Rated
If your knowledge of British history - like mine - has a few gaps in it, this may be just the book to fill the holes. It manages to combine a broad overview of trends and emerging themes with enough detail to fill out those trends and themes in a memorable and interesting way. I found it particularly fascinating on two periods: the time just prior to the Norman Conquest, and the Tudor age/Reformation. Its faults are mainly a reflection of its age (it was originally written during World War II): a tendency to assume background knowledge of history that can no longer be taken for granted, and a tendency to dwell on a now-vanished empire. It remains, nonetheless, a fascinating introduction to English history.

A marvelous history book!!! - Rated
A book of history, not concerned with the hatsize of kings or drowns itself with references to one obscure Act of Parliament after the other,is quite a rare thing to come by. This book is concerned with everything. It puts the ordinary man in the high seat and, after you read it, you really get a feling of having been there yourself. Whether it be the rise of the First English Standard or the Peterloo Massacre, Trevelyan makes you experiance history in a truly intense way.