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Foundation (The History of England #1)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 285 ratings · 71 reviews

Peter Ackroyd, whose work has always been underpinned by a profound interest in and understanding of England’s history, now tells the epic story of England itself.

In Foundation, the chronicler of London and of its river, the Thames, takes us from the primeval forests of England’s prehistory to the death, in 1509, of the first Tudor king, Henry VII. He guides us from the bu...more

Hardcover, 496 pages

Published October 16th 2012 by Thomas Dunne Books (first published January 1st 2011)

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Dec 18, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 4 of 5 stars

”The house of the Plantagenets, from Henry II to Richard III himself was brimming with blood. In their lust for power the members of the family turned upon one another. King John murdered, or caused to be murdered, his nephew Arthur; Richard II dispatched his uncle, Thomas of Gloucester; Richard II was in turn killed on the orders of his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke: Henry VI was killed in the Tower on the orders of his cousin, Edward IV; Edward IV murdered his brother, Clarence, just as his own tw...more

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May 04, 2013 Don rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is of necessity something of a survey history of England from prehistoric times through the reign of Henry VII, the first of the Tudors. It's well, although somewhat eccentrically, written, and alternates chapters narrating the political/military history with chapters about culture, religion, contemporary beliefs, etc. This alternation is a bit awkward; it has the effect of disrupting the momentum of those sections of political history which are particularly interesting. However, I would ce...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Victor Gibson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a very ambitious book, covering the period from prehistory up to the death of Henry VII, and really it would be a good ideas to have some sort of computer programme such as Visio to hand while reading it, because the relationships between the main players becomes confusing. But this is not really a fault. I was prompted to read this book after reading the author's version of the Canterbury Tales, and I'm pleased I did.

It would be difficult to find a more informative and entertaining volu...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Tony rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

FOUNDATION: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors. (2012). Peter Ackroyd. *****.
This is obviously volume one in a projected series of books on the complete history of England. While reading this, I kept thinking that it would have been a wonderful text to have been assigned for my course in English History. There is not a dry page in the book. Ackroyd, a well-respected and prolific writer about various aspects of British history (along with a goodly list of novels an...more FOUNDATION: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors. (2012). Peter Ackroyd. *****.
This is obviously volume one in a projected series of books on the complete history of England. While reading this, I kept thinking that it would have been a wonderful text to have been assigned for my course in English History. There is not a dry page in the book. Ackroyd, a well-respected and prolific writer about various aspects of British history (along with a goodly list of novels and biographies), manages to make this traditionally dull subject come alive through the liberal use of anecdotes that give the reader the feeling that this history is being shared by a companion in the local pub. The copy I read is full of Post-Its where I marked passages or facts provided by the author that grabbed me and served to help me to remember the main purpose of a particular section. I can’t resist sharing a few of them:
• Coelius, or Coelhen, was one of the first Roman leaders of the North part of the country. His name ultimately became shortened – or slurred – to Old King Cole, from which we derive the popular nursery rhyme.
• The legend of Lady Godiva – fully debunked by the author – is discussed by the author, along with the presence of “Peeping Tom.”
• William I (the Conqueror) is remembered for several things, including his victory at Hastings and his commissioning of “The Domesday Book.” But we learn more…He bestowed the duchy of Nrtmandy upon his eldest son, Robert. Robert had asked him for it before, but William had replied that it was not his custom to take off his clothes until he went to bed. What a dad!
• Henry of Anjou was crowned as Henry II in 1154. He was the first Angevin king of England. His father, Geoffrey of Anjou, was also known as Geoffrey Plantagenet; this was because he wore a sprig of yellow broom, or planta genesta, when he went riding. From this little sprig grew a great dynasty that endured for more than 300 years.
• Finally, I have to include just one more: Henry II was a very approachable person. He had a jester known as “Roland the Farter,” and every Christmas he used to leap, whistle and fart before the king. He would have enjoyed The Three Stooges.
This is a book that history buffs should have in their personal library, to have on hand to refer to from time to time. Highly recommended.
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Aug 29, 2012 Tobias rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While Ackroyd writes well and this book filled some gaping gaps in my knowledge of English medieaval history, I found it slightly lacking as a social history. There was too much focus on the power politics of the English plantagenet kings and not enough on the rest of society at large. Each individual story of the Kings is interesting in its own right and filled some gaps in my knowledge. But there are rather a lot of them and the book begins to feel like a procession of one damm King after anot...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Andy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, illustrated

I picked this up on a whim without hearing anything about it, unfamiliar with Ackroyd's other books but with a general enjoyment of British history (currently stronger now that I've forsaken my homeland for one of the colonies!). My knowledge of pre-Tudor history is patchy at best though. Problem solved.

We are led from the very early days of the native peoples right through a series of conquests and colonisation, wars, famous battles and rivalries, mythical figures and folklore, up until the en...more I picked this up on a whim without hearing anything about it, unfamiliar with Ackroyd's other books but with a general enjoyment of British history (currently stronger now that I've forsaken my homeland for one of the colonies!). My knowledge of pre-Tudor history is patchy at best though. Problem solved.

We are led from the very early days of the native peoples right through a series of conquests and colonisation, wars, famous battles and rivalries, mythical figures and folklore, up until the end of Henry VII. Though he claims it's a history of England and the people, it more honestly a history of the Kings of England during this period, each chapter taking them one at a time. I have to say, that suits me fine but it seems to have annoyed some. We do start to get a sense of England as it develops, slowly, usually through inconsequential turns of events and chance occurrences but it's far from the main focus. Between the main chapters are shorter vignettes into various aspects of daily life, the food, agriculture, playthings etc. that make up life. They're good but over too soon.

I found the first few chapters too brief, almost listing events and changes without much sense of significance. However, it quickly improves probably reflecting the greater level of information surviving about the later eras. The writing is smooth and easy to follow though at times the sheer number of different names and people becomes a little overwhelming. Still, I really enjoyed it and have a greater understanding of that era of English history. For those with an interest but no real appreciation of these times it's well worth reading.

This is supposed to be the first of six volumes and I think the real challenge is ahead. Particularly the next volume on the reformation, a period already heavily documented and generally well known by many. If he can manage to steer away a little from the Monarchy, instead focusing on the development of the people and culture that make England in more detail, it will make a more engaging read. I will happily read the next.(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Robert Berg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overall, a fantastic history, filled with fascinating stories, excellent prose, and some excellent insight. I'd probably actually give it a 4 1/2. I'm detracting the point/half-point only because at times, Ackroyd makes only passing references to certain things, because he expects the reader to already have a working knowledge of it...which I find a little strange. For example, he doesn't ever really explain why the Wars of the Roses were called the Wars of the Roses. I happened to already have...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Job van der Kooij rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was looking for a crash course history book, an outline of the history of England. Ackroyd has written exactly that kind of book: crash course history. In the process however he makes English history sound like a dull succession of kings and bishops. Every now and then there's a brief 'intermission' in which Ackroyd describes the more ordinary parts of English life: roads, livestock, position of women, money etc. But these separate mini-chapters actually do damage to the idea that the English...more I was looking for a crash course history book, an outline of the history of England. Ackroyd has written exactly that kind of book: crash course history. In the process however he makes English history sound like a dull succession of kings and bishops. Every now and then there's a brief 'intermission' in which Ackroyd describes the more ordinary parts of English life: roads, livestock, position of women, money etc. But these separate mini-chapters actually do damage to the idea that the English society can be described as a whole (which Ackroyd, according to his introduction, is trying to do) The structure of the book gives the false impression that there is a huge gap between the English aristocratic top layer and the lower echelons of English society. I get the impression that Ackroyd tries very hard to show that the English history is a history of all its inhabitants, but utterly fails. He approaches the course of events like a chronicle rather than a history.

Simon Schama's A History of Britain BBC documentary series first piqued my interest in British history. Knowing Ackroyd's reputation I assumed this would be a improvement on Schama's interesting but slightly out of date notions. Unfortunately Ackroyd's Foundation merely showed Schama's superb eye for suprising historical parallels and his inspired relay of events.

Moreover, Ackroyd, in my opinion, presents the English history a bit too much as a continuum towards the modern and early modern period. Time and again he stresses the continuity of old Anglo-Saxon habits or old-English customs, which have survived to this day. Of course there's a case to be made for many of these examples, but Ackroyd makes this point so often, it gives the impression that essentially nothing has changed. Anglo-Saxon invasions, Danish invasions, Viking invasions, Norman invasions, nothing could tarnish the ancient English culture. It's an English history, for the English. This emphasis on continuity is essentially ahistorical.

That said, I'd recommend this book to anyone unacquainted with British history. It gives a brief outline of 3000 years of the dynastic struggles, wars and economic change. It lacks a certain inspiration, but it gives the reader a sense of "interconnectedness" throughout the history of England.(less)

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Feb 27, 2013 Patricia_Bjaaland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: european-history

An excellent introduction to the history of Great Britain by a first-rate story-teller. Ackroyd keeps us both informed and entertained. Highly recommended for anyone in need of a generalist's introduction to the subject beginning with a charming introduction to the region's prehistory that didn't get bogged down in technical archaeology. "Further Reading" recommendations at the back of the book make this volume extremely useful for those wanting to learn more about a particular period or ruler....more

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Dec 22, 2012 Kaitlyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-medieval

I've always had a profound interest in Medieval British history, so I was slightly worried that this book was going to feel like a skimmed overview.
it did in places, and there were some episodes I felt did not get as much attention as they probably should have, especially around the times of Stephen and Henry II. However, his chapters on The Wars of the Roses were excellently detailed.
I found it compulsively readable, Ackroyd's style flows really easily. I also found it shed light of many episo...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Pete daPixie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, history-england, history-14thc, history-a-s, history-anglorum-rex, history-bronze-age, history-celts, history-dark-ages, history-iron-age, history-norman, history-roman-brittania, history-roses, history-tudor, history-stone-age

I have to say that I tend to grab at any Ackroyd book that I come across. I found 'London:The Biography' and 'Thames:Sacred River' to be wonderful reads. 'Shakespeare:The Biography' was another highly entertaining book. I have also sampled his 'Brief Lives' series with 'Poe:A Life Cut Short'.
I knew nothing of this one before my neighbour kindly popped round and handed it to me. Published in 2011 'The History of England-Volume 1 Foundation' encompasses a vast swathe of time. Ackroyd begins his na...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Mickey Phillips rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book through a Giveaway and I'm currently doing my best to work my way through it.

I have always been a fan of history. Learning about the lives of those who lived before us is both interested and important. That being said, I do struggle with books like this as they remind me of trudging through the assigned readings I would get in university for those classes that I thought SHOULD be great but made me want to shrivel up and die.

I love to read about how people lived their day t...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this worthy, eminently readable retelling of an oft-told tale, novelist/poet/journalist/historian Peter Ackroyd recounts the history of England from prehistoric times to the reign to Henry VII. He successfully conveys the growth of a sense of national unity in this island nation, with a mixture of amused matter-of-factness toward the often stunning brutality of medieval life and engagement in a long, colorful pageant of tradition, layer piled upon layer. Toward the end of the book, when Ackro...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

I have always be interested in European history with a particular fascination for Tudor England. I have thought for some time that I should expand my knowledge by learning more about other time periods and other countries. Having just finished In a Dark Wood Wandering (French circa Joan of Arc) I decided to read this book. The book covers a very broad period of English History and does so successfully. The chapters alternate between kings/battles and the development of the social lives of ordina...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Margaret Sankey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Oh, Peter Ackroyd, you disappoint me. For this survey of medieval history, although he knows the literature well, he draws almost entirely from secondary works written at the turn of the 20th century and into the 1940s--while I admit that these can sometimes have valuable primary documents embedded in them, to ignore the rich and far more balanced and archaeologically supported studies of manors and economy and women and economics and....everything...is just lazy and sad. This is like an England...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Spiros rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: "How do you know he's the King? He hasn't got shit all over him."

Shelves: new, vacationreads, londoncalling

"And then there were two, Richard and John, known to the more romantic nineteenth century historians as Richard the Lionhearted and Evil King John. In truth very little separated them, both of them rapacious and arrogant with no interest in their English kingdom except for the purpose of enrichment." By the time we reach the end of this volume, we discover that the mandate of the monarchy right through Henry Tudor is simply that: wage war for personal glory, rake in as much of the kingdom's weal...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Andrew rated it 2 of 5 stars

The second sentence of Ackroyd's book suggests that humans have been in England for 900,000 years. Given that the species evolved about 200,000 years ago, that's a surprising claim.

And: the book includes no footnotes or sources--simply a list of suggested readings.

So: the stories told were engaging and clear; the background information about roads and towns and religion--although scant--was helpful. But, I simply didn't trust the information enough to keep reading. If he's off on human evolution...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Shawn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Quit after 130 pages. Simply couldn't stand the unending gross and unsupported generalizations and the occasional outright error of fact. This may well improve as he moves beyond the Normans to better-documented eras, but there are no notes at all I have no confidence in the author's authority. I'm not the sort who reads every foot note, but when I have a question about a statement I do like to know how the author came by his information. And not a single map in the entire book! A history withou...more

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May 22, 2012 Leon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, owned

Lively written account of early English/British history, from the Mesolithicum to the usurpation of the English crown by the Tudors. The most positive aspect of the book is the fact that chapters that center on a specific king/queen and his or her antics are alternated by chapters providing insight into the daily life of the English commoners (the seasonal year, games, origin of names, etc.). However, the enormous amount of information presented in this book, the actions of all the different kin...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Nick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, non-fiction

I've never quite made up my mind whether or not I like Peter Ackroyd's writing, but there is no question that I liked and enjoyed his latest sweeping history of England. Although he covers thousands of years in under 500 pages, I never felt rushed or that his narrative gives short shrift to any aspect of England's past. Not all breathless, Ackroyd periodically pauses to underline the continuities in England's history, laws and geography (both natural and crafted by humans). I look forward to his...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Bibliophile rated it 4 of 5 stars

A very entertaining overview of England's bloody history up until the Tudors. Ackroyd doesn't linger on the details. He swiftly moves from one vicious king to the next but still manages to paint a vivid picture of the violent life of the royals, and of course, the peasants who inevitably got the raw deal.

Ackroyd is a pleasant storyteller, well aware of the atrocities committed by the rulers but never indignant. He has a wry sense of humor in the midst of all the mayhem. Describing King John's b...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Knightpanda Lees rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

Initially, I thought this book would be a hard slog. 446 pages of English history, not even covering the Tudors? But it was a fascinating read. Ackroyd has an unusual and interesting authorial voice, ironic and dry. English, in a sense, which suits the subject matter to a tee.

However, the first couple of chapters are far from engaging, arrow head and burial mounds, oh my! But it establishes this idea of extended nationhood, a continual occupation of land, with ancient traditions, which is the co...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lexicon, tudor-fact, plantagent-fact

For a country where words like “stodgy,” “quaint,” “stiff,” and “civilized” are tossed about to describe the people, it appears to have a history absolutely soaked through in blood.

Ackroyd tackles an ambitious project, perhaps overly ambitious, covering English history from the arrival of the first [i]homo sapiens[/i] circa 900,000 BC to the death of Henry VII in 1509. He covers so much ground that he is forced to gallop along at a break neck speed, rushing through events and having to move on j...more
For a country where words like “stodgy,” “quaint,” “stiff,” and “civilized” are tossed about to describe the people, it appears to have a history absolutely soaked through in blood.

Ackroyd tackles an ambitious project, perhaps overly ambitious, covering English history from the arrival of the first [i]homo sapiens[/i] circa 900,000 BC to the death of Henry VII in 1509. He covers so much ground that he is forced to gallop along at a break neck speed, rushing through events and having to move on just when things are getting interesting. The difficulty is that each chapter covers a subject worth a whole book by itself.

He starts by examining England’s history before the written record – what fragments of bone, a few bits of burned wood, and some stone carvings can tell us. Quite a lot, actually. I’m impressed with the archeologists’ ability to look at a field with a few potshards and skulls in it and be able to re-create a city or battle. England, apparently, was site to many, many, bloody battles, as bad as anything in the 19th or 20th century, well before the Romans came, and then,

When the Romans did come, all bets were off, and even worse when the empire collapsed, and England split into pieces, filled with warring factions and invaders, followed, slowly, slowly, by a melding as the people intermixed and began to create the genetic mix of the true ‘English’ – a blood line that seems to have a little bit of everything that Europe has to offer.

After going through the mists of King Arthur, the book goes back and forth between the documented succession of the English crown, and the development of the land in general – towns, roads, church, law, etc. With still plenty of bloodshed in any given time period.

It’s a meaty but uncomplicated read, and I, personally, found it helpful to read up on the kings and queens of England in a straightforward succession, seeing them laid out in the big picture to get a better grasp on who reigned when.
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Feb 06, 2013 Alanna Mooney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-2013, non-fiction

I recently watched a documentary about how they found Richard III buried under a modern day car park, it was a fascinating show and it really put me in the mood to do some reading up about the history of England (a subject that has always caught my attention and my imagination). I knew I had the perfect book stored up ready to read on my Kindle – now seemed like the perfect time to read it. Foundation by Peter Ackroyd was something I found when watching BBC Breakfast one morning; the author spok...more I recently watched a documentary about how they found Richard III buried under a modern day car park, it was a fascinating show and it really put me in the mood to do some reading up about the history of England (a subject that has always caught my attention and my imagination). I knew I had the perfect book stored up ready to read on my Kindle – now seemed like the perfect time to read it. Foundation by Peter Ackroyd was something I found when watching BBC Breakfast one morning; the author spoke about how he was writing the complete history of England in a series that would span several volumes – Foundation is just the first volume.

Foundation covers everything in British history up until the start of Henry VIII’s reign. It details the start of the country as a series of factions with different leaders, follows through the Battle of Hastings and the conquest of William the Conqueror, all the way through the War of the Roses up until the reign of Henry VII. It also covers the more social aspects of life, such as how commoners of the day made their living, what kind of living conditions they were subjected to and how they entertained to.

All of this information and its complexities gives some sort of indication as to the length of the book. However, its content is dealt with admirably; while reading I never felt overwhelmed or confused about what was being provided for me in terms of new knowledge.

Generally the information provided centred around the monarch of the day and their role in the lives of their people. However, the author is very clever in his use of well-placed chapters about the more social aspects of life such as the role of the church and industry of the day. These chapters gave a slightly light-hearted breather in what could have easily become a procession of monarchs and their wars.

The author’s writing style lends itself well to non-fiction. He gave his facts well and wrote in an authoritative manner that led me as a reader to trust what he was telling me. He also had a friendly tone that made the read easy and inviting.

Non-fiction is hard to review in depth, as the content is pretty immoveable and difficult to criticise. All that is left for me to say on this is that I enjoyed reading it. I feel better informed about the history of my home country and I look forward to reading the rest of the series as and when it becomes available.(less)

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Apr 18, 2012 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are few writers about England, its history and its culture more prolific and entertaining than Peter Ackroyd. I've read most of his books and got a great deal of enjoyment from them, and learned so much from him. His style is pleasing; he doesn't lecture or allow his prose to become bogged down in the convoluted and ponderous language of academia. Foundations is no exception.

As a book on the history of England, I have to say that Foundations is a bit of a disappointment. His decision to ex...more There are few writers about England, its history and its culture more prolific and entertaining than Peter Ackroyd. I've read most of his books and got a great deal of enjoyment from them, and learned so much from him. His style is pleasing; he doesn't lecture or allow his prose to become bogged down in the convoluted and ponderous language of academia. Foundations is no exception.

As a book on the history of England, I have to say that Foundations is a bit of a disappointment. His decision to explore England's history using its rulers as sign posts and historical stages gives his history too great a distance from the true heart of England - it's people. History isn't great events or even great people; it is the minutiae of the life of ordinary people which gives history its heart and soul. The plotting, the machinations and the changing tides of fortune of kings and nobles are often inconsequential overlays on the real struggles of daily life. We miss so much of that by seeing history through the passing of the sceptre from one self-interested high-born to another.

One thing that does come across vividly in Ackroyd's book is that so few of England's rulers were at all exceptional, and perhaps none did justice to the responsibility and power they had bestowed on them, or assumed for themselves. Quite rightly, Ackroyd is blunt in his assessment of the progress of royal power as selfish and self-centred. Yet even in this there is a missing link, the connection between the concept of divine right and any concept of social contract which could justify the doctrine.

One of the most fascinating aspects of English history - which is multi-cultural, polyglot and rife with foreign imperialism - is the point at which 'Englishness' arose, and the curious and enduring concept of England itself as an ideal - a personality, almost - which gradually became a force which shaped its rulers' responses to their responsibility. Ackroyd dealt with this with considerable astuteness in his book, Albion and Foundations would have been a tastier dish if it had been peppered with some of Albion's seasoning.(less)

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May 06, 2013 Johanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this, a brisk run through the history of England up to Henry VIII. I liked the earlier part better, there was for me a point about 1/2 to 2/3 through where it got a bit king/battle/died and I was not terribly engaged. I think overall I liked the shorter chapters about how people lived rather than the largely familiar kings and their battles. A good general introduction, well written and engaging although if you are loosely familiar with the period you may prefer something slightly more...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Drewkosztyo rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Sue Morris

A monumental but accessible book that chronicles the first 900,000 years of English civilization -- no easy task considering that there were about 900,000 tedious wars between England and its arch-rivals Scotland and France. Thus, instead of endless names and dates, we're given a sense of what daily life was like for the average English family -- what they ate and wore and how they thought and prayed.

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Mar 31, 2013 Peter Mcloughlin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-history, european-history, middle-ages

Not really my type of history. I like the history of Ideas and grand systems and theory. I don't go for personal stories or historical characters. If the fox knows many things and the Hedgehog know one big thing then I am a hedgehog. Give me a big idea to work with not a lot of details about characters. It is well written and no doubt the foxes among us will enjoy this book but it just didn't grab me.

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Mar 06, 2013 Grant rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not quite finished but this is a well-written mix of straight history of kings and conflicts along with the development of British civilization and culture including much about the common people. And there is a clear view of history as a process. Developments like Magna Carta aren't proclaimed as the beginning of a new thing like Constitutional government, but explained in context as history or how humanity developed.

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Dec 08, 2011 Jane Walker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: didn-t-finish, history

There is no shortage of histories of England; and anyone buying or borrowing this book is likely to have some historical knowledge. So does Ackroyd bring any new insights? Not really. I gave up on the book (despite being an Ackroyd fan) because there was little that I didn't already know. I would recommend it to someone with a feel for good writing but not much historical knowledge.

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About Peter Ackroyd

Peter Ackroyd CBE is an English novelist and biographer with a particular interest in the history and culture of London.

Peter Ackroyd's mother worked in the personnel department of an engineering firm, his father having left the family home when Ackroyd was a baby. He was reading newspapers by the age of 5 and, at 9, wrote a play about Guy Fawkes. Reputedly, he first realized he was gay at the age...more

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