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A review by hmalagisi
Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors by Peter Ackroyd
4.0
England is a nation that is rich in history and conflicts galore. Through the centuries, England has seen so much change. Many of us know the stories of the medieval and the Tudor kings and queens of England, covered in numerous books, but Peter Ackroyd has taken this concept a step forward. Ackroyd embarked on an epic quest to chronicle the history of England from its prehistoric origins to the modern age. In “Foundation: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors,” Peter Ackroyd begins his epic journey into the past to explore the origins of English history.
This book is one that I have seen every time I go to a bookstore and look at the history nonfiction section. I have heard great things about Ackroyd and this series, however, I have yet to read any of his books. It was always an intriguing book to me, but it was one that I never read until now.
Ackroyd has decided to begin his book with one of the most ancient sites in all of England, Stonehenge, explaining that before the first stone was set in Stonehenge, the origins of England were centuries old. We travel through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and into Roman Britain before we dive into the time of the Anglo-Saxons and the Viking invasions. There is a lot of history to cover in less than a hundred pages, but Ackroyd can get his point across about how much change England went through during that time and that it continued to grow throughout the following centuries.
We see the impact that the Norman Conquest and William the Conqueror’s reign. The fall of the Normans with the death of King Stephen led to the rise of the Plantagenets and the reign of King Henry II. It was the Plantagenets that Ackroyd focuses the bulk of this book on as the dynasty lasted over 300 years and witnessed much change. From the Crusades, the Hundred Years War, and the Wars of the Roses, to the Black Death, rebellions, and religious changes, the Plantagenets saw England through major highs and lows. It was not just the monarchs that Ackroyd highlights in this book, he also examines how normal life changed with each dynasty and through the centuries, which adds a bit of depth to his examination of the past. Ackroyd concludes with the fall of Richard III and the rise of Henry VII and the Tudor dynasty. I wish Ackroyd would have waited until his next book to discuss the reign of Henry VII, but it is a minor qualm in the long run.
Overall, I found this an enjoyable and informative read. This is not only a tale of warring kings but a story of the people of England and what makes England so unique. A story whose origins are centuries old, but are rich and vivid in details. I look forward to seeing how Ackroyd will chronicle the Tudors and the rest of England’s history. If you want a book that explores as much of the beginnings of England’s story through multiple dynasties and dramatic changes, I would suggest you read, “Foundation: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors” by Peter Ackroyd.
This book is one that I have seen every time I go to a bookstore and look at the history nonfiction section. I have heard great things about Ackroyd and this series, however, I have yet to read any of his books. It was always an intriguing book to me, but it was one that I never read until now.
Ackroyd has decided to begin his book with one of the most ancient sites in all of England, Stonehenge, explaining that before the first stone was set in Stonehenge, the origins of England were centuries old. We travel through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and into Roman Britain before we dive into the time of the Anglo-Saxons and the Viking invasions. There is a lot of history to cover in less than a hundred pages, but Ackroyd can get his point across about how much change England went through during that time and that it continued to grow throughout the following centuries.
We see the impact that the Norman Conquest and William the Conqueror’s reign. The fall of the Normans with the death of King Stephen led to the rise of the Plantagenets and the reign of King Henry II. It was the Plantagenets that Ackroyd focuses the bulk of this book on as the dynasty lasted over 300 years and witnessed much change. From the Crusades, the Hundred Years War, and the Wars of the Roses, to the Black Death, rebellions, and religious changes, the Plantagenets saw England through major highs and lows. It was not just the monarchs that Ackroyd highlights in this book, he also examines how normal life changed with each dynasty and through the centuries, which adds a bit of depth to his examination of the past. Ackroyd concludes with the fall of Richard III and the rise of Henry VII and the Tudor dynasty. I wish Ackroyd would have waited until his next book to discuss the reign of Henry VII, but it is a minor qualm in the long run.
Overall, I found this an enjoyable and informative read. This is not only a tale of warring kings but a story of the people of England and what makes England so unique. A story whose origins are centuries old, but are rich and vivid in details. I look forward to seeing how Ackroyd will chronicle the Tudors and the rest of England’s history. If you want a book that explores as much of the beginnings of England’s story through multiple dynasties and dramatic changes, I would suggest you read, “Foundation: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors” by Peter Ackroyd.