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Our Island Story: A History of Britain for Boys and Girls, from the Romans to Queen Victoria
 
 
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Our Island Story: A History of Britain for Boys and Girls, from the Romans to Queen Victoria (Hardcover)

by H.E. Marshall (Author) "Once upon a time there was a giant called Neptune ..." (more)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
RRP: £17.24
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 494 pages
  • Publisher: Galore Park Publishing Ltd (12 Sep 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1902984749
  • ISBN-13: 978-1902984742
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.2 x 4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 41,453 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #64 in  Books > Children's Books > Education > Key Stage 2 > Arts & Music

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Product Description

Review

I was given H.E. Marshall's Our Island Story at Christmas 1936 and I've still got that copy. It was a direct inspiration for me in my career as a historian. --Lady Antonia Fraser

The reason that parents will go to such lengths to try to track down copies of Our Island Story is because of the sheer quality of the writing. Telling a story from history might be old-fashioned, but it stimulates a child's imagination like nothing else. --Andrew Roberts, The Sunday Times 2005

Our Island Story is a marvellous antidote to the fractured, incoherent history most primary school childen are taught today. It chimes with the Prince of Wales's campaign to restore narrative and chronology to history teaching and has been endorsed by Antonia Fraser, one of our leading historians, who says the book has earned her lifelong gratitude. --John Clare, Education Editor, The Daily Telegraph


John Clare, Education Editor, The Daily Telegraph, 16th June 2005

"'Our Island Story' is a marvellous antidote to the fractured, incoherent history most primary school children are taught today."
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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Once upon a time there was a giant called Neptune. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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83 of 84 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars History that teaches and delights, 13 Sep 2005
'In this book you will find the story of the people of Britain', writes the author. She continues: 'The story tells how they grew to be a great people, till the little green island set in the lonely sea was no longer large enough to contain them.'

This is big, bold sweeping history, at once charmingly simple and accessible for children and sufficiently courteous and informative for adults. HE Marshall guides us through from the earliest myths about Albion and Brutus through to the death of Queen Victoria, taking in wars and rebellions, tyrants and outlaws, treachery and love, the evolution of our liberal democracy and the deaths of those who fought for the freedoms that we enjoy today. With a deftness of tone that most writers can only dream of, Marshall's prose is equal to the challenge of expressing tenderness for the Princes in the Tower, and pride for Boadicea - 'the Romans', she points out, 'did not understand that many of the women of Britain were as brave and as wise as the men, and quite as difficult to conquer.' It is unashamedly proud without ever sounding arrogant. We learn how all sorts of great moments or phrases have passed into our folklore and idiom - such as 'England expects' - and all is rendered with an impressive sense of chronological cohesion.

Which is of course topical and explains why this glossy centenary edition has been republished. At a time of great anxiety about how poor is the teaching of history in our schools, how it has become fragmentary and partial, this book shows just how history could foster a shared sense of national identity. As politicians and academics witter on pompously, unclear about how to deliver the most important elements in history - the chronology, which makes it intelligible, and the stories, which make it memorable - Our Island Story offers itself as an answer. For young and old alike, passionate, energised history is engaging and invigorating. Indeed, I've lost count of the number of people who have recommended this book to me, particularly parents who read their childhood copies to their children as an excuse to revisit it themselves, and it's been the subject of numerous newspaper and radio panegyrics in recent months. Our Island Story is perhaps more literature than history - I suspect HE Marshall would have preferred it to be thought of in this way - and as such it would have also pleased Sir Philip Sidney: it both teaches and delights.

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76 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Our Island Story - a great read, 24 Feb 2006
By MRS DEM SCOTT (LUTON, Bedfordshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
I bought this book at Christmas for my nine year old and was pleased to find that my eleven year old was captivated by it too. We enjoy reading books out loud as a family and this book makes a great read for sharing. Don't expect it to 'tie-in' with the random topic based school history curriculum, this book is a consecutive account that unashamedly includes an element of myth and magic.I don't think that my children had realised that a clear understanding of the English/ British succession was within their intellectual grasp before hearing this engaging narrative.Furthermore all those Edwards,Henrys and the rest now have a relevance in their minds that was not there before. My children can now see a clear causal link between that subject called 'history' and that thing called 'politics'. Sometimes it takes an exciting story to awaken knowledge and bring it to life. The book covers a very broad sweep of British history and I would recommend it for families to share.
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36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Reasserting our history, 13 Sep 2005
By A Customer
Civitas have done this nation a great service in reprinting this beautifully written history of Britain. At a time when even Gordon Brown is questioning the very meaning of 'Britishness', this enchanting book provides us with a tale of a nation we should all be proud of.
It is the perfect antidote to the lifeless, fragmented history that most children receive today. With its spledid narrative and enticing characters, 'Our Island Story' should be a big hit with children and parents alike.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars On my father's knee
I was born in a Dorset vicarage in 1949. When old enough, my reverend dad read me extracts from OUR ISLAND STORY on his knee. Read more
Published 17 days ago by M. Willmott

3.0 out of 5 stars Christian propaganda?
I absolutely agree with the majority of the reviewers of this charming book; it is a fantastic way to present history to children. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mr. I. A. R. Pollard

5.0 out of 5 stars Truthful!!

Our Island Story by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall was first published in 1905. This children's history of Britain , from the time of the Romans to the death of Queen... Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2007 by MightyBoosh

5.0 out of 5 stars Fierce struggle and high intrigue, magic and poisoned daggers, and a queen who defied the norm...
It looks more like a history book than anything else, but as soon as I started reading "Our Island Story", I was fascinated. Read more
Published on 12 April 2007 by Tabby

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it!!!
Our Island Story is truly exceptional. I remember my grandfather reading me this book when I was younger, and being fascinated by what is truly a great narrative of British... Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2007 by Jay Morovski

5.0 out of 5 stars A sumptuous new edition
Even if you've already got the hardback edition of Our Island Story, this new paperback version truly is a keepsake worth buying. Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2007 by Analisa Vanderbilt

2.0 out of 5 stars A re-issue unworthy of the author and a much-loved work.
'Our island Story' is a wonderful if idiosyncratic re-telling of British history, it's intention being to make history exciting and accessible to young readers. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book in all regards - outstanding.
I recently bought this for my son, having read reviews in the Daily Telegraph, which helped underwrite the recent re-introduction of this previously out of print classic. Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2006 by sir_isaac_newton

1.0 out of 5 stars Should be in a museum, not a book shop
If you like your history anglo-centric this is certainly the one for you. If you are Scottish I wouldn't bother.
Published on 3 Jan 2006

2.0 out of 5 stars History for the Brave and True
When I was little I used to enjoy looking at my dad's copy of Our Island Story, especially the pictures of knights from days of old. Read more
Published on 16 Dec 2005 by Tealady2000

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