Great Tales from English History (Book 2): Joan of Arc, the Princes in the Tower, Bloody Mary, Oliver Cromwell, Sir Isaac Newton, and More [BARGAIN PRICE] (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Acclaimed historian Lacey's second volume on English history opens in 1348, the year of the Black Plague, which wiped out half of England's five million people, and proceeds through the astonishing scientific discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton in 1687. Along the way, we meet characters as diverse as Chaucer, Richard II, Henry IV, William Caxton, Guy Fawkes, Richard Whittington, Lady Jane Grey and Titus Oates. In lively vignettes, Lacey (The Year 1000; Majesty) also regales us with such events as the Puritan civil war, the London fire of 1666 and Sir Walter Raleigh's voyages to the New World. Political and religious dissent dominate these tales. Lacey captures the humor inherent in the evolution of England's history; thus, he includes the story of the first modern water closet, invented by Queen Elizabeth's godson, Sir John Harrington. In addition, Lacey briefly chronicles the British attraction to the rare and the exotic in the tale of John Tradescant's opening to the public in the 1630s of his collection of artifacts and curiosities—England's "first museum." Lacey's animated prose, energetic storytelling and spirited approach to British history bring the past to life. 51 b&w illus., 2 maps. (June 2)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Description

Unforgettable stories from the England of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and beyond-the rich second volume of great tales by a master of British popular history. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (June 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031610924X
• ASIN: B000Q6GY3A
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #776,693 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TALES WELL TOLD, August 24, 2005

By	E. E Pofahl (HUNTINGTON, WV USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Great Tales from English History (Book 2): Joan of Arc, the Princes in the Tower, Bloody Mary, Oliver Cromwell, Sir Isaac Newton, and More (Hardcover)

The author Robert Lacey, writes "Our first historians were storytellers-our best still are.... " In GREAT TALES From ENGLISH HISTORY-Book 2 Lacey demonstrates that he is among the best, both as a historian and a storyteller. Book 2 begins in 1387 with short comments on Geoffrey Chaucer and ends in 1687 with a brief account of Isaac Newton and his principles of the universe.

Religious and political dissent, dominate this period of English history. The text succinctly covers a multitude of interesting English historical characters such as monarchs Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI (the youngest ever King of England), Henry VII, Henry VIII, Bloody Mary, Elizabeth I, William of Orange, etc. plus other important personage such as Oliver Cromwell, Guy Fawkes, Joan of Arc, etc. Also, the Wars of the Roses, the Puritan Civil War and the 1666 London fire are given brief but interesting coverage. The narration of the reign of Elizabeth I is short but well covered. Her reign saw the creation of England's first stock exchange and her attempt at a tolerant middle way came to define a certain strand of Englishness (that still exists). Lacey concludes that "Elizabeth I, Queen of Shakespeare, Ralegh, Drake and the Armada, had presided over one of the most glorious flowering of English history and culture."

Many of Lacey's comments are intriguing. He notes "Henry V's own patriotism was deeply infused with religion. Dreaming of England and France unified beneath God...." Regarding Oliver Cromwell, the author postulates "....has a claim to being England's most remarkable man." The text notes that, with the exception of Goeffrey of Lynn's book Promptorium Parvulorum, "Medieval books were for grown-ups...." No Harry Potter type books for Medieval children. He states Henry V III "....was a great one-arguably England's greatest ever king. Take virtue out of the equation, and his accomplishments were formidable." He notes that "Many Elizabethan amusements were brutal by our taste" observing that "There were several gallows in London. Twenty to thirty offenders were hanged every day the courts sat...." Adults and their children rushed to view the executions.

Book 2 also briefly narrates other important English events such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada, noting that contrary to myth Sir Francis Drake did not lead the Royal Navy in the defeat of the Armada. Succinctly narrated are Sir Walter Raleigh's trips to the New World. Most fascinating is the account of the English village of Eyam whose residents in 1665, after twenty-eight "black plague" deaths, choose not to flee the village and risk spreading the plague around the district. "This clearly, was to risk their own lives in an act of extraordinary self-sacrifice." More than 260 inhabitants (three-quarters of the village's population) died from the plague. It is impossible to conceive of a similar act in today's society.

This is a very easy/enjoyable book to read. Both English history buffs, and those totally unfamiliar with the topic, will enjoy this work. It is sincerely hoped that Robert Lacey will write a third book on the subject.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Nightstand History of England, August 30, 2005

By	The Sanity Inspector (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Great Tales from English History (Book 2): Joan of Arc, the Princes in the Tower, Bloody Mary, Oliver Cromwell, Sir Isaac Newton, and More (Hardcover)

A second collection of vignettes from English history by Robert Lacy, pithy and enjoyable. The drawings and layout give the book a cozy, old-fashioned feel. The stories are presented simply and clearly, and make the book an ideal choice for bedtime reading.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible history, September 3, 2005

By	FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Great Tales from English History (Book 2): Joan of Arc, the Princes in the Tower, Bloody Mary, Oliver Cromwell, Sir Isaac Newton, and More (Hardcover)

I first discovered Robert Lacey as an author from his book 'The Year 1000'. Interesting, accessible, easy to follow, with a good balance of detail and breadth (always a tricky task when writing a popular history), that book was one of my favourites around the turn of the second millennium. I discovered this book on the shelves of my local library, and have found it equally worthwhile and fun to read.

This book concentrates on the late Middle Ages to the post-Reformation era in English history - in royal terms, the times of the end of the Plantagenets, the Tudors, the Stuarts, the Interregnum and Glorious Revolution (which a history professor of mine once intoned dramatically, 'was neither glorious nor a revolution'). In years, this goes from the late 1300s to the late 1600s.

One of the things that I like a lot about this particular history is that the stories are brief and self-contained while being part of the overall flow of the history of England. They make for good bed-time reading (the longest of the stories is barely seven pages long, in easy print and easy, storytelling language). Many of the characters are already familiar figures even to those who aren't Anglophiles - Joan of Arc, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth the First, Shakespeare, King James and the English Bible. Then there will be figures that are lesser known but just as interesting - the Roundheads and Cavaliers, Rabbi Manasseh, Titus Oates, the Bloody Assizes. These are tales told in a simplified but memorable manner, and could serve for younger and older readers as a stimulus for further reading and investigation about topics brought up in the text.

There are a few maps, royal lineage charts, and woodcut/line art drawings throughout the text. Lacey includes a bibliography for further reading (this contains a good number of website addresses for making further research very easy). There is also an index, which many popular histories forget, but Lacey is to be highly praised for including one here, making looking up particular names, places and events very easy.