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Possibly the best thing of its kind ever done ... Quotation is hopeless: every sentence clamours for it
--The Observer
--The Observer
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The only Memorable History of England.,
By A Customer
This review is from: 1066 and All That (Paperback)
Sellar and Yeatman's classic retelling of history is quite clearly a Good Thing. Written in 1930, and steeped in the subversive irreverence of British humour, the book expertly and hilariously parodies the process of writing history. From the first date in English history (55 B.C.), to the point at which history comes to a . (1918), Seller and Yeatman insist that history is "not what you thought. It is what you can remember" and ably set out to prove it with a litany of schoolboy howlers and almost- plausible assertions. 1066 and All That is crammed with ridiculous reinventions of how history is taught; insisting that all historical events are either a "Good Thing" or a "Bad Thing", lampooning the nationalism of teaching history by suggesting that the focus is always to make Britain appear "Top Nation", and separating each section with exam papers which seem almost, but not quite as stupid as the real ones (including the famous instruction "Do not on any account attempt to write on both sides of the paper at once"). A precursor to the incredibly popular "Horrible Histories" series, this is a must for anyone who wants to take history seriously or otherwise
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Spoilt by the new cartoons,
This review is from: 1066 And All That: The History Book to End All History Books (Methuen Humour) (Hardcover)
Would have given it 5 as it really is a classic. Sadly, though, the new edition (bought as a gift) is ruined by the new Appleby cartoons.
They're utterly unnecessary (and utterly unmemorable, come to that) and seem to be there to bulk out the product. Worse - they ruin the comical-historical tone of the book, which is earnestly confused and yet Very Serious. The Appleby cartoons wreck this by making the whole thing deliberately, *knowingly* silly. I don't mean to criticize Appleby, a super cartoonist - but I do think the person who made the decision at Methuen to include new cartoons either has no sense of humour or is just a Very Bad Editor.
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fall-over-laughing funny,
By A Customer
This review is from: 1066 and All That (Paperback)
Still hilarious after all these years. My favourite line (out of hundreds) "Hengist was thus the first English King, and his wife (or horse) Horsa, the first English Queen (or horse)". Also, how to tell the difference between Arthur (who was fictional although a Good Thing) and Alfred the Cake. It gets even funnier the more you know about what really happened- every time I read it I see more in-jokes (like "Paris is rather a Mess"). Their sequel, And Now All This, which does for every other subject in the curriculum what 1066 does for history, is if possible even better. Learn how to knit ginger-beard and the significance of Exporto Grass. I agree with the recommendation, below, of Will Cuppy's Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody- that sticks closer to the "facts" of history than 1066 And All That does, and covers more countries, but is just as amusing. Plus! A bonus recommendation of 1066 And All This; The Other Half Of History- a history of women in Britain, with great cartoons by Kate Charlesworth, which starts by acknowleging the inspiration of Sellers and Yeatman. Lovely bits on just about every famous woman, and many who we have mysteriously lost track of... A different style, but just as good. (I've forgotten who it's by, as I don't have my copy with me, but it's well worth tracking down).
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