Apart from the (somewhat hilarious) arrogance of Jenkins' assertion in the introduction to this book that "England's history, its triumphs and disasters, must be the most consistently eventful of any nation on earth", this is a very interesting and enjoyable read. I picked this up because I wanted both to improve my knowledge of English history (which, admittedly, is fascinating) and because I wanted to get a better sense of how the bits of knowledge I already possess fit together in a broader narrative context. This book certainly fulfills both of those expectations.

While the final third was a bit too heavy on party politics for my personal set of interests, I very much enjoyed reading about the history of the English monarchy, the development of civil rights, and the seemingly endless cycle of English civil conflict, revolution, and warfare, the latter dominated by an amusingly persistent animosity against France.

In short, this is a great read for anyone who wants an introduction to, or a refresher on, English history.