The British Isles: A History of Four Nations (Canto) (Paperback)

by Hugh Kearney (Author) "These powerful lines may be seen as representing the unspoken assumption of so many historians that 'England' is for all intents and purposes an island..." (more)
Key Phrases: colonial ascendancy, indentured retainers, marcher lordships, Home Rule, Irish Sea, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
'Kearney's book should be widely used to educate those who think they know about British history when in fact they know only English history.' Christopher Hill, The New York Review of Books '... a book into which much labour and thought, much knowledge and wisdom has been packed, which contains in consequence much that is unexpected and fascinating'. Colin Welch, The Spectator ' ... a perceptive, challenging and, at times, provocative book ... Kearney not only offers a balanced outline instead of the usual English history in disguise, but ambitiously surveys 2000 years of British history in 250 pages.' Steven Ellis, History Today

Review
'... the immensity of Kearney's achievement in producing a genuinely pan-Britannic history of the four nations from the Celtic societies of the Iron Age to our troubled multicultural present.' Times Literary Supplement

' ... a challenging and, at times, provocative book.' History Today

'Kearney's book should be widely used to educate those who think they know about British history when in fact they know only English history.' The New York Review of Books --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052148488X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521484886
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,108,985 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting and fresh historical perspective., February 6, 1998

By A Customer

Hugh Kearney argues that the history of the British Isles can not be properly understood by simply considering a single 'national' interpretation. The first five chapters of his book consider Celtic society, the Roman invasion, post-Roman centuries, Viking settlements and the Norman invasion - all within the context of the British Isles. The later chapters continue with the same approach, and bring a fresh perspective on well known events such as the 'English' civil war, the various Acts of Union (Wales in 1536, Scotland in 1707, and Ireland in 1800), the formation of the Irish Free State and the two world wars.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better as a "reference" volume, I think, January 31, 1998

By A Customer

I admit it - I haven't finished this book yet. I find it hard slogging, despite the fact that I am interested in British history and want to learn more about it. I am surprised to find that one trade review referred to the book as "fast-moving". I do not find it to be so. But then, maybe I am just not enough of an historian to go for this. The book is very complete, as far as I can tell. But it's really not exciting reading - it would work well if a person needed the information for reference or something, but I prefer my histories to have more of a narrative thread to them than this one. It's not *bad*, just not as engaging as some other history books. Perhaps this one was not intended for the "general reader".