The Story Of England

Rating:
Summary: Could have been Better, and touched on Some Areas more...
Review: Hmm, well, this is a great book for beginners in English history. However, there are areas where Mr Hibbert could have touched on certain areas more. It basically starts with prehistoric England, to the Roman, Danish, and Norman conquests, and finally to the restoration of the monarchy and England's empire. Illustrations and some bonuses are ever present, but the book skips some areas. The reader gets mouthfed areas about the Anglo-Saxon and Norman invasions, but we need to hear more about certain wars that the English were in. We don't hear anything about the Crusades except for one line. The twentieth century as a whole is just skipped. World War I and Irish secession is mentioned in a paragraph, and World War II is mentioned in about three sentences, we don't hear about the Lutwaffe air attacks on London, Manchester, and Birmingham, and we don't really get information on how the Romans cooled down British resistance in ancient times. It's okay for people who haven't touched on English history, but for experienced history buffs, you don't need to buy this.

Rating:
Summary: A Good and Concise Book
Review: I read this book over the past weekend and found it so absorbing. Sure, this is an English history suitable for ones in a hurry but it's a very good one for that purpose. I like his narrative style and how he portrayed his subjects. He captured important persons and events in English history and put them together in a concise manner. You will be able to see a clear development of England through times - pretty quickly. The book's presentation is also nice. This is not a history book for serious readers or students majoring in history, I suppose. But it's good for general readers and those who are looking for an enjoyable history book to read. The reason that I'm giving it only 4-star is because I think in certain places, Mr. Hibbert could have elaborated a little bit more. Still, the book as it is, is simply very good. I'm going to buy more books written by Mr. Hibbert.

Rating:
Summary: Good Overview, But Leaves Major Events Out
Review: If someone is looking for a good, easily read, overview of English History, Christopher Hibbert is a logical choice. His 'The Story of England' is both entertaining and informative. However, if you already know something of English history, you will be amazed at the short shrift he gives to major events such as World War I & II, the Wars of the Roses, and some literary/social events that are certainly worth mentioning. Hibbert does well with the ancient history sections, and he does throw in great anecdotes on people and places that are accurate as well as fun to read. Hibbert also includes timelines and maps for both England and World history, and several royal family trees to pin down dates and people. For a beginning book on this subject, I would highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Good Overview, But Leaves Major Events Out
Review: If someone is looking for a good, easily read, overview of English History, Christopher Hibbert is a logical choice. His 'The Story of England' is both entertaining and informative. However, if you already know something of English history, you will be amazed at the short shrift he gives to major events such as World War I & II, the Wars of the Roses, and some literary/social events that are certainly worth mentioning. Hibbert does well with the ancient history sections, and he does throw in great anecdotes on people and places that are accurate as well as fun to read. Hibbert also includes timelines and maps for both England and World history, and several royal family trees to pin down dates and people. For a beginning book on this subject, I would highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Tangled Flyby of British History
Review: Just as William Shatner is attracted to writing in short sentences (where two words is the norm), Hibbert is extremely verbose, to put it kindly. Often his sentences are written in the passive voice and have five or more phrases and sentence fragments in them. It becomes extremely difficult to follow the narrative of the story. Some of his sentences are so long that they literally become paragraphs in and of themselves. It was frustrating to have to read a sentence three or four times before the meaning became clear. Half the time I felt like I wanted to go through the book with a red pen and edit the grammar. I think I would have run out of ink by page 74. Another dissapointing fact about this book is that it pays lipservice to some of the most important events in English history. Historic milestones, battles, and cultural references may be only mentioned in one phrase in passing, never to be seen again. Other significant events like the rise of the empire on which "the sun never sets" are glossed over. The book does include some extras, like maps of England and timelines, but even then, the maps were of little use. They simply tended to list pinpoint locations while the author would refer to provinces or areas of the country that were not marked on the map. If you are not familiar with British geography (and I imagine you wouldn't be if you are considering a book like this) then their value becomes wasted. All in all, this was an experience which I would not like to repeat again. For an example of a good history book, check out Willam Manchester's take on the American century,"The Glory and the Dream."

Rating:
Summary: Okay, This Book is Terribly CONCISE
Review: Okay, I bought this book looking for an introductory course to English history, nothing really in depth with each event taking up a chapter, but rather a quick run through of English history. Well, I got what I wanted. Here's the good and the bad.

Good - This book covers everything, a prehistory of England, from Stonehenge, to the Roman invasions, to the Anglo-Saxon massacres, to the Norman conquest and feudalism, to England becoming a world power, the Black Plague, The English Monarchy, Wars with Spain and France, The Colonial Era, War with America, Empire and Industry, and finally England's triumph in World War I, and despite being bombed for 10 months by Germany in World War II, being able to halt the invasion and remain a free country for the remainder of the war.

Bad - This book is terribly concise. Though it is a concise history, sometimes the book is bad because of it. The entire twentieth century, from World Wars I and II, to Irish secession, to The Falkand Wars gets a few pages. The Blitz of 1940 is not mentioned, and Winston Churchill gets a few lines here and there. C. Hibbert tends to make run on sentences and fragments, and there are tons of errors throughout the book. The book fails to list why England was so dependant on its colonies.

However, if someone is just starting to learn about English history, then this book will save you. But if you want a better book, I suggest other titles.

Rating: 3 stars ***

Rating:
Summary: The story of England, with pictures; in very long sentences
Review: That might actually sum it up if not for the fact that there is actually a lot of research that went into this book and such a glib encapsulation does not do it justice. What is the purpose of the book. Mr Hibbert tells us. "It is intended as a generously illustrated introduction to the history of England for all those readers who have largely forgotten what they were taught at school, or whose history lessons touched upon only parts of the long periods covered here, as well as those looking for a readable book which will help to put the places they visit in their travels about the country into their historical context." Phew! THE STORY OF ENGLAND in very long sentences!

I may have forgotten a lot of the English history I learned in school, and I am grateful for the colorful and interesting presentation of it here by Mr Hibbert. What I do remember from school though is that a sentence should be about 25 words long and a paragraph roughly 75. Here you will run into more than the occassional 75 word sentence!

The book is gloriously illustrated with every page having at least one (usually full color) graphic, and the historical period covered is extensive - from Roman Britain to the present. There are chronological tables tracking significant British historical events, genealogical charts of the Normans, Plantagenets, Tudors, Stuarts and Hanoverians. The historical style is descriptive.

Suitable for general readers; introductory college level English history. Concludes with the ascension to power of John Major in the 'palace coup' of 1990 when the conservatives found too much rust on the 'Iron Lady' and ousted her as party leader.

Rating:
Summary: It's the fat-free version of English history
Review: The same day I became engaged to my British boyfriend, we stopped by a bookstore and I found this book. Since I'm about to begin on a lifelong commitment to an Englishman, I thought it was only appropriate that I learn more about his country and cultural background. However, given the vastness of England's history, I felt overwhelmed: How could I possibly get a decent overall review of England's history without my head spinning in the process!?

"The Story of England" was the perfect solution. Its condensed format, covering most of the major historical bases, was exactly what I'd been looking for. It provides just enough insight for me to have a good impression of where my betrothed and his family are from, but doesn't weigh me down with 5,000 years' worth of detail. I especially liked the timeline charts and genealogy listings in the back.

However, I'm not giving it five stars, even though it is obviously well-researched and an ambitious effort. First, I agree with the other reviewers who have commented on the long-windedness of the author. (Perhaps it is a British English vs American English thing -- who knows?) Second, although the author touches on many different historical events, I felt that some should have received more attention -- maybe just a page or so. There were several times where I felt like the author stopped short of telling me the basic facts.

All in all, this is a very good read. It is perfect for those of you who'd like to learn more about England's history and the events that help us understand how England has become the country it is today.