A Short History of England [Illustrated]

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Perhaps they reflected a uniquely English malaise. But the urge to set themselves apart from the palsied political arrangement in which we live is increasingly instinctive in the Scots and the Welsh. Apart from over-representation in the Westminster parliament and a disproportionate share of public spending, the Welsh and Scots have a growing taste for asserting the identities they had before the United Kingdom was invented. The English have yet to do so, and most of the time, the English, a relatively easy-going and conservative people, ignore the fire-breathing on their borders.

If and when the point comes at which Scotland and Wales decide they've had enough of the whole thing and opt for independence, the English will shrug their shoulders and go back to their DIY, their gardens and their car-boot sales.


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They will react as if watching the divorce of a couple of well-liked friends: But if our political masters have their way, England will have no say in the divorce and will remain sat upon by "Great Britain" forever. For the most part, the English seem committed to the union — in a dozy "what's the point of changing things?


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Separation would deprive the Labour party of a stage army of biddable dead-beats. And while we are repeatedly told that an English parliament would be more-or-less permanently Tory, for some reason, that is less appealing to the Conservatives than a sentimental attachment to a year-old political fix. I blame Sir Walter Scott. The Liberal Democrats — four of whose six leaders have come from Scotland — agonise.

Ten Minute History - The Early British Empire (Short Documentary)

Not that anyone dreams of offering the English people a vote on the subject, or even a parliament to match the ones in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland: The English are not to be trusted with self-government, and have shown little sign of demanding it. But Westminster can rest easy for the moment: As Simon Jenkins concedes in A Short History of England , "Britishness" was forged through war, industrial expansion and, absolutely crucially, the building of an empire.

With the empire gone and the United Kingdom a part of the European Union, it is a political identity which increasingly feels like an unnecessary woollen sweater on a warm summer's day, one layer of political clothing too many: But how long can nationalism remain their preserve? The Westminster dullards' inability to imagine casting off a surplus piece of political clothing is no reason for the rest of the English to feel the same way indefinitely. First, of course, the English need to define who they are. There is no racial answer to this question, for we are a people formed by immigration.

Jenkins a Welshman by descent, I suppose recognises the critical power of history in crystallising a sense of English identity. Understand the forces which have collided time and again in our national development and you begin to grasp what has made us who we are. This is why the neglect of history teaching in schools is such a calamity.

Anything which makes the history of England available and intelligible to all is A Good Thing. It is also very political. Jenkins is one of the liveliest commentators at work in Britain, always worth reading and pleasingly contrarian. But he is also a great panjandrum who chairs the National Trust , on whose behalf he has written this book. And what are we to say of the National Trust? Of course, it's a force for good.

But it is also like an unapproachable distant relative who somehow, without ever obviously intending any such thing, makes you feel gauche and inadequate. You don't want to miss this!

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Product details File Size: April 3, Sold by: Related Video Shorts 0 Upload your video. Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention english chesterton events modern title british dates fresh text commentary common course references understanding example historical hundred upon pages contemporary.

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. If you're looking to learn the history of England in a concise book, I'll warn you that this is not the one you want.

But its misleading title is probably its worst aspect. It's a commentary, and it may be a good one. But if you don't know the backstory, then the commentary can be frustrating. There are a lot of statements of this general form: But what was it that actually happened next? It doesn't say, but goes on to discuss the implications. There are many references to people and events that are deep in the backstory. All that said, I think the book provides some interesting views on English history, but you'll be at a disadvantage if you don't know the history all that well.

I had forgotten that this work existed, and am delighted to have found it. Written during World War I, it is in a small sense a work of its time, and in that a fascinating glimpse of one man's perspective of that tragic period and its origins. But it is far more than that: I found myself forced to think, ponder and muse on every page.

A Short History of England by Simon Jenkins – review

And for a work that is a hundred years old it is oddly enough as fresh as the morning headlines. One person found this helpful. I haven't read this book yet, so am just reviewing the format. The first several pages are a poor photo copy of some printed version of the book. The majority of the text seems to have been copied and pasted from a different-sized book without being reformatted, so that the content that would normally show up in the heading of each page -- the page number, chapter title, and book title in caps -- shows up, in this printed version, not as a heading, but on a random place on each page; this means that the "page numbers" reflect the number of the original book, and are inaccurate and worthless for this version.

Lastly, the cover picture is terribly grainy, not nearly as clear as the picture on Amazon suggests. I would return this, if it were not such a hassle. Buy a different format, unless you just plan to read once and toss it out. If you love Chesterton, this work is full of the kind of cutting humor and cultural insight that is his best. The title is a bit misleading in the sense that this is more a "collection of essays on aspects of English History.

However, he remains the best Christian apologist in the modern era and of the modern era. Chesterton presents an anthropological, social, religious, and philosophical history of England.

A Short History of England [Illustrated] eBook: G. K. Chesterton: leondumoulin.nl: Kindle Store

This highlights the unique forces that have created the nation. It is not a history composed of events, dates, and historical figures around which most histories have been formed. Written in what I would consider a "high style," the content can be difficult. There are also clever references to the times in which Chesterton lived.

So anyone not acquainted with news of the times would miss the "insider" references. This keeps the history from earning a fifth star. This requires a decent understanding of English history. You don't get dates here. Or even full names. Instead you get a sweeping look at the development of ideas and ideals.

That built the modern. Before reading this book you should review your high-school history textbook or the Wikipedia equivalent. Then you can enjoy the colorful language and original analysis of GK Chesterton. Assuming that the reader already knows the basic dates and names, he presents the evolution of beliefs, classes and state in England from pre-roman times all the way to our days. He tells a tale of passion, ambition and blood shed, of the people who pay all the bills for the glory or disgrace of leaders, and of how things went from bad to worse during the last years.

A good reading with a touch of intellectual challenge. See all 31 reviews. Most recent customer reviews. Published on February 17, Published on November 25, It's rambling and full of anecdotes that Published on November 4, Published on June 25, Published on December 28, Published on December 21,