Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.

This book picks up where Volume One left off. It begins with Chaucer and ends with Sir Isaac Newton.

The style of the first book is continued, as most chapters are 3-4 pages long. A most enjoyable read for any history buff. Books such as these are a wealth of historical tid-bits that are presented in an easily read style. The author continues to shed new light on old tales by including reecent findings on the subjects covered. A must-read for anyone interested in history, particularly English history.

Highly recommended, along with Volume One.

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.

This is a very educational and entertaining book. The chapters are short but very descriptive and informative. I suggest buying this book and also the companion - Volume 1.

Robert Lacey has done something that many writers have failed to do (unfortunately) - he has written history in a fun, accessible, easy to grasp manner. After all, as Lacey points out in his introduction to Volume 1, the "history" and "story" come from the same Latin root word. Essentially, history should be the simple story of how things happened, to the best of the teller's knowledge.

Lacey's power as a storyteller is highlighted here in spades. He narrates his audiobook as well so there is the added bonus of hearing the author add nuance to the reading - essentially reading it the way he meant it to be heard.

The stories are short and entertaining. Only a couple of times in nearly six hours of listening did I find my attention wandering. This is a terrificly fun experience for any history lover. Full of interesting tidbits but not lacking in the larger themes or commentaries.

I am going to look for volume 3 and hopefully he has written or is writing his promised volumes on Scotland and Ireland as well.

Bravo!

I give this one an enthusiastic A+.

This second of a three volume set is as interesting and as well done as the first. The main characters, of course, are (mainly) English monarchs, but the presentation of the material and the snippets of little-known facts make this book a very entertaining read. The way of life in this late medieval/early Renaissance period is also well presented. Books like this make history come alive; there should be many more like it. One can only anxiously await the third volume.....

Great Tales from English History Volume II, written by Robert Lacey, covers a wide section of history. Starting in the year 1387 with Geoffry Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales, Lacey continues until the year 1687. He includes smaller stories about various topics such as the first children's book. In Great Tales, Lacey also writes about the Plague, the London Fire, beheading, and burning traders.

Great Tales from English History Volume II covers all of the Kings ranging from Richard to James. It includes their multiple wives (especially in King Henry VIII) and children (King Charles II's 14 illegitimate children) who fought over the chance to become the next king or queen. Lacey also writes about the number of wars, both with other countries and the civil war. Religion also plays a big role in the book.

Robert Lacey's Great Tales from English History Volume II is definitely a nonfiction history book but he keeps a cheerful story telling prospective. Lacey manages to keep interest by including several smaller sections in between wars and kings. He includes smaller incidents and people to add to a person's understanding of history. Not a history person, I learned plenty about the history, most which is not taught in school.

The second of three volumes, this narrative continues the history of the British Isles. The tales begin with the story of Geoffrey Chaucer and end with the story of Isaac Newton, spanning the years of 1387 to 1687. This history begins with stories of England and ends with the unification of Scotland, England, Wales and part of Ireland.

Lacey intersperses stories of famous royals with little known people, which makes this a truly unique book. I really like learning stories that explain various parts of the English culture.

I highly recommend this series!

i read the first volume of "great tales from english history," and had to immediately dive into the 2nd volume. this book covers the years 1387 to 1689, and is every bit as fun as its predecessor. these books are completely addicting. I just got the 3rd volume and having it here in the house waiting to be read has made life seem worth living a bit longer. buy all 3 of them and read them. you really should.