History of Britain, A - Volume I: At the Edge of the World? 3000 B.C.--A.D. 1603Simon Schama's magesterial new book encompasses over 1,500 years of Britain's history, from the first Roman invasions to the early seventeenth century, and the extraordinary reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Schama, the author of the highly acclaimed Citizens and The Embarrassment of Riches, is one of the most popular and celebrated historians of our day, and in this magnificent work he brings history to dramatic life with a wealth of stories and vivid, colorful detail, reanimating familiar figures and events and drawing them skillfully into a powerful and compelling narrative. Schama's perspective moves from the birth of civilization to the Norman Conquest; through the religious wars and turbulance of the Middle Ages to the sovereignties of Henry II, Richard I and King John; through the outbreak of the Black Death, which destroyed nearly half of Europe's population, through the reign of Edward I and the growth of national identity in Wales and Scotland, to the intricate conflicts of the Tudors and the clash between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. Driven by the drama of the stories themselves but exploring at the same time a network of interconnected themes--the formation of a nation state, the cyclical nature of power, the struggles between the oppressors and the oppressed--this is a superbly readable and illuminating account of a great nation, and its extraordinary history. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 33
Page 28
Where Caesar had imagined the disciplined Roman troops ploughing their way through the British warriors in open combat , what he actually had to deal with , once his troops moved inland , was an enemy that melted away , spookily , into ...
Where Caesar had imagined the disciplined Roman troops ploughing their way through the British warriors in open combat , what he actually had to deal with , once his troops moved inland , was an enemy that melted away , spookily , into ...
Page 31
As many as 50,000 Roman troops , almost an eighth of the entire imperial army , occupied Britain , and it may have been the very size of the military garrison that prompted some of its junior commanders to overplay their hand ...
As many as 50,000 Roman troops , almost an eighth of the entire imperial army , occupied Britain , and it may have been the very size of the military garrison that prompted some of its junior commanders to overplay their hand ...
Page 386
When the great Spanish admiral Santa Cruz estimated that , to have any chance of success , between 50,000 and 90,000 troops and 200 ships would be needed , he must have assumed that this kind of scale would be prohibitive .
When the great Spanish admiral Santa Cruz estimated that , to have any chance of success , between 50,000 and 90,000 troops and 200 ships would be needed , he must have assumed that this kind of scale would be prohibitive .
What people are saying - Write a review
Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified
A history of Britain
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictReaders should not be daunted by the ambitious timeframe of this first installment of Schama's (Rembrandt's Eyes) two-volume, popular history of Britain, which will accompany the History Channel's ... Read full review
Contents
AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD? | 18 |
CONQUEST | 66 |
SOVEREIGNTY UNBOUND? | 114 |
Copyright | |
1 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
A History of Britain - Volume 1: At the Edge of the World? 3000 BC ..., Volume 1 Simon Schama No preview available - 2009 |
A History of Britain - Volume 1: At the Edge of the World? 3000 BC-AD 1603 Simon Schama No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
Abbey Archbishop army asked attempted authority battle became Becket become began believed better bishops body Britain British brother called Canterbury castles Catholic century certainly Church claim common course court Crown death died Duke Earl early Edward Elizabeth empire England English especially face fact father followed force France French give given hand happened Harold head Henry Henry's John kind king king's kingdom knew knights known land later least less live London look lord marriage Mary matter needed never Norman Northumbria once perhaps political prince queen realm reign remained Richard Robert Roman Rome royal Saxon Scotland Scots seemed sense sent side succession taken thing Thomas thought took town turned Viking Wales walls wanted
Bibliographic information
| Title | History of Britain, A - Volume I: At the Edge of the World? 3000 B.C.--A.D. 1603 Volume 1 of A History of Britain, Simon Schama, ISBN 0563384972, 9780563384977 A History of Britain: The Fate of Empire 1776-2000, Simon Schama Talk Miramax Books |
| Author | Simon Schama |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Miramax Books, 2000 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 13 Jun 2008 |
| ISBN | 0786866756, 9780786866755 |
| Length | 416 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |