- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: BBC Books; New edition edition (1 May 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0563487143
- ISBN-13: 978-0563487142
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.2 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
281,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #30 in Books > History > Other Historical Subjects > Historians > Schama, Simon
A History of Britain - Volume 1
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
What do you get when you combine the resources and ethos of the BBC with the literary panache of one of the world's best narrative historians? The answer is Simon Schama's History of Britain, the first volume of which accompanies the BBC television series of the same name.
In a beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted book, studded with striking portraits, pictures and maps, Schama, the bestselling author of books on European cultural history such as The Embarrassment of Riches and Citizens, as well as 1999's Rembrandt's Eyes, has managed to be both conventional and provocative. He tells the official version of Britain's island story--from Roman Britain, through the Norman conquest, the struggles of the Henrys and Richards with their bolshie barons and cautious clerics, Edward I and the subjugation of Wales, King Death (the plague), and on to the Henrician reformation, before closing with the remarkable reign of the virgin queen, Elizabeth I.
While sticking to a script familiar to anyone who sat up and listened in history lessons at school, Schama brings it all alive, with memorable prose--Simon de Montfort's rebel parliament is described as inaugurating the "union between patriotism and insubordination"; with Henry VIII, Schama says, "you could practically smell the testosterone". And with fine sensitivity too, particularly on the symbolism of buildings, memorials, language and ceremonies, and on the complex relations between England and her Celtic and Catholic neighbours. If history must have gloss, then let it be written and presented like this. --Miles Taylor --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Described as an "epic book" by the publishers, this frequently bandied and much devalued term may be, for once, an understatement. Schama seems set to follow his Rembrandt's Eyes success with this book - part archaeology, part social history - and the accompanying 16-part television series, co-produced by the BBC and the History Channel. Writing in an engaging, accessible style and dotted with interesting illustrations, both of which more than balance the sheer bulk of the book, Schama approaches a broad sweep of our nation's history from 3500BC to our modern post-imperial state. He has set out to show that, as much as we have changed over the last 5500 years, much has remained in common between us and our ancestors. A worthy companion book to another of those authorial multi-part series (think Civilisation and The Ascent of Man) that the BBC does so well.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Well done Simon Schama. If only history teachers the length a breadth of the country had half the enthusiasm this guy has, we would all have benefitted greatly. One of the reviewers talked about the three lions and football fans, and then went on to say it was a book about England. It does say on the cover " A History of Britain". This is the sort of misguided patriotism that this book cuts through, because history is completely full of ironies and Simon Schama exposes them masterfully to bring it all to life.
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio Cassette|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a great book to read but I think it all the better for having Timothy West read it. He has the right voice to draw you into the story of Britain and want to keep listening. The best part about the whole story is how the book combines both elements of our history - continuity interspersed with shocks to the system - which the country deals with and incorporates into the fabric of what makes Britain. The other fascinating point is how the book deals with the successive influences on Britain and how we are the result of a continuing series of waves of immigration and war. I recommend this audio book because it tells a story and helps identify where we came from as a nation - something that is very relevant to today
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book with a view to gaining a general outline of how Britain's destiny has been shaped. Having read a few in-depth history books on specific events and short periods, I felt that I would gain by understanding the wider context in which these events occurred. In the main, I feel that Schama's book has given me that, although, as ever, it means putting one's trust in the author's accuracy and judgement of what is relevant.
What I didn't expect, unlike some reviewers it seems, was a comprehensive account of every event of note. With a subject this broad, the content is necessarily selective. I'm guessing, of course, but I'd say Schama chose the events he thought were the most fundamental to the nation's destiny, rather than the juiciest ones. Every subject he covers has a bearing on what follows and generally involves significant change, while illuminating what it was like to live in the period under discussion.
I read the indignant reviews of those attacking what they see as anglo-centric bias with some amusement. Those with the greatest power have the most influence and if they happen to be English kings, what is Schama to do? By all means, seek out material on the history of Wales or Scotland to learn about their cultures, but are we to suppose that the likes of Llewellyn or Malcolm III shaped our destinies? Had Schama adopted a more provincial approach, the same people would doubtless have criticised him for portraying the Welsh and Scottish as greedy, backstabbing, bloodthirsty barbarians, as it's clear that most of the, mainly English, protagonists were just that. As it is, conquerors from Rome, Scandinavia and France are also given extensive room. Hardly anglo-centric.
As for the book itself, Schama is refreshingly readable, rather than academically arid, and has a talent for dry humour. As such, this is a good way to get into the subject before looking for more specialised material. There are a few turgid passages, such as the first few pages of the chapter on the Tudors which rambles on about the Church, before cutting to the more absorbing matter of what Henry VIII and co did to Catholicism. This is not then a book to consult for detailed history, but a helpful introduction. I look forward to reading the other volumes.
What I didn't expect, unlike some reviewers it seems, was a comprehensive account of every event of note. With a subject this broad, the content is necessarily selective. I'm guessing, of course, but I'd say Schama chose the events he thought were the most fundamental to the nation's destiny, rather than the juiciest ones. Every subject he covers has a bearing on what follows and generally involves significant change, while illuminating what it was like to live in the period under discussion.
I read the indignant reviews of those attacking what they see as anglo-centric bias with some amusement. Those with the greatest power have the most influence and if they happen to be English kings, what is Schama to do? By all means, seek out material on the history of Wales or Scotland to learn about their cultures, but are we to suppose that the likes of Llewellyn or Malcolm III shaped our destinies? Had Schama adopted a more provincial approach, the same people would doubtless have criticised him for portraying the Welsh and Scottish as greedy, backstabbing, bloodthirsty barbarians, as it's clear that most of the, mainly English, protagonists were just that. As it is, conquerors from Rome, Scandinavia and France are also given extensive room. Hardly anglo-centric.
As for the book itself, Schama is refreshingly readable, rather than academically arid, and has a talent for dry humour. As such, this is a good way to get into the subject before looking for more specialised material. There are a few turgid passages, such as the first few pages of the chapter on the Tudors which rambles on about the Church, before cutting to the more absorbing matter of what Henry VIII and co did to Catholicism. This is not then a book to consult for detailed history, but a helpful introduction. I look forward to reading the other volumes.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Uneven, flawed, incomplete, ultimately a mediocre piece
After the smashing success of the television series, someone at the BBC must have thought it wise to follow through with a written accompaniment. Read more
Published 4 months ago by LatissimusDorsi
A great read - and insightful
I really enjoyed this whole series. Yes there are times when you'd like a bit more depth or when a favourite topic is skipped over with hardly a mention; but the thing I really... Read more
Published 5 months ago by David
Schama at his best
This book was written to accompany a television series of the same name and there is an audiobook of it read by Timothy West, all of which I recommend. Read more
Published 8 months ago by RR Waller
A terrific read
One of the most readable and enjoyable history books I have ever read. Never gets bogged down but has enough detail to illuminate the key individuals and episodes - highly... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Magellan
It's in the title :-)
A number of the more jaundiced comments have upbraided Schama for omitting some specific aspects but to be fair to him,the title is "A History of Britain", therefore not to be... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Richard Sewell
History with a wry outlook
I've just read the book again for the nth time. I love it, and much more than the other two volumes put together. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2010 by A. Friswell
Informative and entertaining
This History of Britain vol. 1 is by no means exhaustive but that's not what it intends nor claims to be. Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2007 by Didier
Racing with rulers
This delightful romp through Britain's history from Roman to Elizabethan times is enchanting reading. Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2005 by Stephen A. Haines
A thematic approach
Schama's History of Britain was written to accompany the series of the same name. This first volume takes us up as far as 1603 and the death of Elizabeth I. Read more
Published on 10 May 2005 by Mrs. D. J. Smith
A super book
This series (both the TV and the books) are wonderful. It guides you gently through the main historical events of our country, gory details included - the type of things you... Read more
Published on 14 May 2004
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
