A Child's History of England [Hardcover]

Charles Dickens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2003 | Age Level: 9 and up

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare s finesse to Oscar Wilde s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'In A Child's History we see Dickens near the height of his powers: combining a mastery of plain language, sharp if sometimes heavy irony, and the keenest eye for evocative detail... Dickens had no interest in serving up the bland fare that others may have felt more suitable for a child's palate - and less threatening to the status quo. His is sectarian history: radical, opinionated, and, to most readers, all the better for it.' David Starkey" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

This book is in Electronic Paperback Format. If you view this book on any of the computer systems below, it will look like a book. Simple to run, no program to install. Just put the CD in your CDROM drive and start reading. The simple easy to use interface is child tested at pre-school levels.

Windows 3.11, Windows/95, Windows/98, OS/2 and MacIntosh and Linux with Windows Emulation.

Includes Quiet Vision's Dynamic Index. the abilty to build a index for any set of characters or words. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: IndyPublish.com (February 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140434442X
• ISBN-13: 978-1404344426
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,548,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

One of the grand masters of Victorian literature, Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Landport, Portsea, England. He died in Kent on June 9, 1870. The second of eight children of a family continually plagued by debt, the young Dickens came to know not only hunger and privation,but also the horror of the infamous debtors' prison and the evils of child labor. A turn of fortune in the shape of a legacy brought release from the nightmare of prison and "slave" factories and afforded Dickens the opportunity of two years' formal schooling at Wellington House Academy. He worked as an attorney's clerk and newspaper reporter until his Sketches by Boz (1836) and The Pickwick Papers (1837) brought him the amazing and instant success that was to be his for the remainder of his life. In later years, the pressure of serial writing, editorial duties, lectures, and social commitments led to his separation from Catherine Hogarth after twenty-three years of marriage. It also hastened his death at the age of fifty-eight, when he was characteristically engaged in a multitude of work.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dickens on england, March 21, 2006

By 

Bethany Lister (boulder, co) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A childs History of England (Paperback)

This book is a delightful history of England. It is a book for all ages. As an adult I have enjoyed reading the book for pure pleasure. My two teenage daughters have used this book numerous times for school projects, especially for their history and compostion classes.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming and blissfully opinionated, October 22, 2010

By 

booklover - See all my reviews

This review is from: A child's history of England (Paperback)

I never appreciated Charles Dickens as such a charming writer until I read this book, so after reading this, as an adult, I went back to his most familiar books and found that I still enjoyed this one best! It is written like he is an oral storyteller and is so engrossing as to make it difficult to put down. I originally thought due to the title that I would just read it aloud to my boys but I found when they had fallen asleep I couldn't stop and have since read this book at least three times and bought a used copy for all my nieces and nephews. The history is very one sided and from an Englishman's point of view he has a poor opinion of his royals with the Great Alfred being the first and last king of any esteem. His descriptions of the wars with the thousands of dead contrast sharply with the "clean" wars of today. Fields with thousands lying slaughtered is incomprehensible. Life was so cheap then at least as described by Dickens. This is such an engrossing history but with so much strong opinion it certainly wouldn't pass muster in todays historical circles which is part of why it is so fun and dare I say naughty to read. One of the most enjoyable books I have ever read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scottish and English history, December 10, 2010

By 

Chloe "cleo1930attic" (Honey Brook, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A child's history of England (Paperback)

I read a one hundred year old copy of this and gave it away. So sorry about that. This was just a great book. The history of both Scotland and England is represented. The history just flows like easy reading. William Wallace, The Battles for Scottish Independence. The Different English Kings and some of their wiley ways, yes, its all there. Great for home-school parents. Definite book for history lovers old or the young.