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crystxlxsxd's review
Will return to it but it’s very long winded. One of the reviews was that it’s an ambitious run through of all history and I agree, it’s overwhelming even with an existing basic understanding.
elydy's review
informative
fast-paced
3.75
A surprisingly fast and gripping read. Very interesting and I learned a lot. But by its nature it assumes a lot of prior knowledge, and openly takes a rather specific view on history. I'd recommend though!
smj_phie's review
2.0
Short indeed and concise, Jenkins paints a well structured overview of the history of England. His use of personal accounts in quotes helps hugely in bringing the very stringent narrative to life.
His view on certain matters takes on a somewhat condescending quality, though, and he doesn't question any of the events discussed much.
All in all, it is well executed but content wise rather uninventive.
His view on certain matters takes on a somewhat condescending quality, though, and he doesn't question any of the events discussed much.
All in all, it is well executed but content wise rather uninventive.
lucien_'s review
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.5
Wonderfully rich in content yet small in size, A Short History of England mirrors the nation perfectly. The book has made me a lot more confident when talking about my country's history and given me a hundred fun facts which I couldn't help blurting out to my family every ten minutes while reading. Split into manageable chapters with extra content at the back to help you familiarise yourself with the lineage of sovereign and prime ministers, this is a book I will no doubt be picking up again from time to time for reference.
elizabethlk's review against another edition
4.0
A Short History of England, 384 pages in its hardcover edition, is completely true to its title. This book manages to cover everything from 5th century to present day (or the time of publication rather, which would be 2011) in such few pages.
This was a read that I enjoyed greatly. It's rare to find a history book that includes so much in such a small space and this manages to get everything. It is written in a fairly enjoyable way and managed to give me new information on time periods I wasn't very familiar with, brush up my knowledge of the time periods I had studied more, and gave me a more complete picture of English history as a whole and how England transitioned between each of these periods.
Unfortunately, such a short book can only cover so many things and it moves at a rather quick pace, making parts of the book a bit difficult to keep up with. I found myself having to read the parts of history I wasn't as familiar with very, very closely in order to know to which events Jenkins referred and in order to know to which people Jenkins referred. The lists in the back (One Hundred Key Dates, Kings and Queens of England from 1066, Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom) were immensely helpful in keeping these sorted, and I referred to them somewhat often. If you read this book and find yourself getting lost in the speed, I would most definitely recommend referring to these lists, which are clear and thorough.
I would recommend this book for people with a very basic knowledge of overall English history who are looking to gain knowledge, for people who have knowledge of parts of English history and are looking for a more thorough knowledge, and for people who have studied English history and need a refresher. If you have a thorough knowledge of English history, this book will not give you much new knowledge as it is meant more to give you a big picture of England's history rather than a detailed history--it couldn't possibly be short if it were detailed.
As a whole, I enjoyed A Short History of England. It was refreshing to be able to read a history any country that covered that country's entire history. Getting the whole picture at once is something that makes for an interesting perspective.
This was a read that I enjoyed greatly. It's rare to find a history book that includes so much in such a small space and this manages to get everything. It is written in a fairly enjoyable way and managed to give me new information on time periods I wasn't very familiar with, brush up my knowledge of the time periods I had studied more, and gave me a more complete picture of English history as a whole and how England transitioned between each of these periods.
Unfortunately, such a short book can only cover so many things and it moves at a rather quick pace, making parts of the book a bit difficult to keep up with. I found myself having to read the parts of history I wasn't as familiar with very, very closely in order to know to which events Jenkins referred and in order to know to which people Jenkins referred. The lists in the back (One Hundred Key Dates, Kings and Queens of England from 1066, Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom) were immensely helpful in keeping these sorted, and I referred to them somewhat often. If you read this book and find yourself getting lost in the speed, I would most definitely recommend referring to these lists, which are clear and thorough.
I would recommend this book for people with a very basic knowledge of overall English history who are looking to gain knowledge, for people who have knowledge of parts of English history and are looking for a more thorough knowledge, and for people who have studied English history and need a refresher. If you have a thorough knowledge of English history, this book will not give you much new knowledge as it is meant more to give you a big picture of England's history rather than a detailed history--it couldn't possibly be short if it were detailed.
As a whole, I enjoyed A Short History of England. It was refreshing to be able to read a history any country that covered that country's entire history. Getting the whole picture at once is something that makes for an interesting perspective.