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disreputabledog's review
4.0
I've been slowly making my way through this history for about 6 months ago, and though I haven't finished it, I think it's safe to say that I've read enough to write a review.
"Great Tales from English History" is a brief history of England from circa 7150 BCE to 1953. Rather than write a traditional history, though, Lacey pulls out notable or interesting stories from England's colorful past. These stories are anywhere from a paragraph to 3-4 pages, allowing Lacy to give an overview of notable people and events, but he doesn't go into too much detail for any one person/event. This is great if you're looking for an overview of England and provides an excellent starting point for more in-depth reading on particular periods or figures. On the other hand, if you're looking for something more detailed, this is probably not the book for you.
Lacey has a wonderful writing style - his goal is to inform and entertain simultaneously, and there's quite a bit of humor in his renditions of moments from English history. He also loves to point out things that the average history would not; for example, King John is the first English king on record to have worn a bathrobe.
Lacey's history is available in three volumes or a single omnibus; I have the latter, and I can't recommend it enough for anyone who wants to brush up on their English history.
UPDATE: It only took me about 9 months, but I finally finished it! Initially I gave this 5 stars, but I've adjusted it to 4 because I feel like Lacey glossed over much that happened in England in the 19th and 20th centuries. I was surprised to find that he barely spent any time on Queen Victoria, which struck me as odd since he devoted several pages to Elizabeth I's rule. I also found it striking that Lacey only mentioned Britain's colonies/empire in passing (except for America; there is a chapter on the Revolutionary War). I know that this is a history of England, not Great Britain, but as this was the height of England's power it seemed strange that he would want to gloss over mentioning the British Empire.
"Great Tales from English History" is a brief history of England from circa 7150 BCE to 1953. Rather than write a traditional history, though, Lacey pulls out notable or interesting stories from England's colorful past. These stories are anywhere from a paragraph to 3-4 pages, allowing Lacy to give an overview of notable people and events, but he doesn't go into too much detail for any one person/event. This is great if you're looking for an overview of England and provides an excellent starting point for more in-depth reading on particular periods or figures. On the other hand, if you're looking for something more detailed, this is probably not the book for you.
Lacey has a wonderful writing style - his goal is to inform and entertain simultaneously, and there's quite a bit of humor in his renditions of moments from English history. He also loves to point out things that the average history would not; for example, King John is the first English king on record to have worn a bathrobe.
Lacey's history is available in three volumes or a single omnibus; I have the latter, and I can't recommend it enough for anyone who wants to brush up on their English history.
UPDATE: It only took me about 9 months, but I finally finished it! Initially I gave this 5 stars, but I've adjusted it to 4 because I feel like Lacey glossed over much that happened in England in the 19th and 20th centuries. I was surprised to find that he barely spent any time on Queen Victoria, which struck me as odd since he devoted several pages to Elizabeth I's rule. I also found it striking that Lacey only mentioned Britain's colonies/empire in passing (except for America; there is a chapter on the Revolutionary War). I know that this is a history of England, not Great Britain, but as this was the height of England's power it seemed strange that he would want to gloss over mentioning the British Empire.
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