AN UTTERLY IMPARTIAL HISTORY OF BRITAIN OR 2000 YEARS OF UPPER-CLASS IDIOTS IN CHARGE [Import] [Hardcover]

JOHN O'FARRELL (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: DOUBLEDAY; 1st Edition, 5th Impression edition (2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385611986
• ISBN-13: 978-0385611985
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,154,791 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An amusing journey through history, February 24, 2010

By 

F. Knoph (Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Utterly Impartial History of Britain or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in C (Paperback)

This book is a summary of British history from Caesar tried to invade the island 55 years BC until Hitler tried to do the same during World War 2. It is written in an amusing way, and is a very easy read. The author's humour may not suit everyone, but personally I found it quite amusing.

I would recommend this book to everyone who has an interest in history but wants an easy, humours approach. It covers many important aspects of world history, and it's full of "fun facts". And to all you Americans: This book also deals with the US, both as an English colony, and also as an decisive military factor during both WW1 and WW2.

5.0 out of 5 stars The best HIstory of Britain Ever, January 20, 2010

By 

Kosher Chicken (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Utterly Impartial History of Britain (Kindle Edition)

The book contains facts that you can hardly find in any traditional British history.
Fun to read, although the jokes sometimes go overboard.
Written from by an Englishman, but from a truly American point of view: Brits are so slavishly fond of their kings, that they would never say out loud that George III was barking mad, or that Wilhelm the Conqueror depopulated the whole North of the country.
I never heard before what Cromwell did to Ireland or Richard the Lion Heart did to England.
I actually checked his wildest statements out - they were true.

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly readable history, August 2, 2008

By 

Daniel Rocha (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Utterly Impartial History of Britain or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in C (Paperback)

A light and breezy stroll through British history from 55BC to 1945. O'Farrell has made every attempt to make the information accessible and dispels numerous myths. As for the humor, I agree the author has overdone it. I did find myself saying 'enough with the comic asides, let's get back to the story', but there were times that I laughed out loud, so while not perfect it's quite good. Also, a lot of cultural references will go over the head of non-British readers, myself included.