A History of Britain: The Wars of the British 1603-1776

A History of Britain #2

by Simon Schama

Inside these pages lies the bloody epic of liberty, the British Iliad.

The second volume of Simon Schama's A History of Britain brings the histories of Britain's civil wars - full of blighted idealism, shocking carnage, and unexpected outcomes - startlingly to life. These conflicts were fought unsparingly between the nations of the islands - Ireland, England, and Scotland - and between parliament and the crown. Shattering the illusion of a "united kingdom," they cost hundreds of thousands of lives: a greater proportion of the population than died in the First World War.

When religious passion gave way to the equally consuming passion for profits, it became possible for the pieces of Britain to come together as the spectacularly successful business enterprise of "Britannia Incorporated." And in a few generations that business state expanded in a dizzying process that transformed what had been an obscure, off-shore footnote to Europe's great powers into the main event - the most powerful empire in the world.

Yet somehow, it was the "wrong empire." The British considered it a bastion of liberty, yet it was based on military force and the enslavement of hundreds of thousands of Africans. In America, the emptiness of British claims to protect "freedom" was thrown back into the teeth of colonial governors and redcoat soldiers, while the likes of Sam Adams and George Washington inherited the mantle of Cromwell.

Simon Schama grippingly evokes the horror of the battle, famine, and plague; the flames of burning cities; the pathos of broken families, with fathers and sons forced to choose opposing sides. But he also captures the intimacies of palace and parliament and the seductions of profit and pleasure. Geniuses like John Milton, Thomas Hobbes, and Benjamin Franklin stalk vividly through his pages, but so do Scottish clansmen, women pamphleteers, and literate, eloquent African slaves like Olaudah Equiano.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, British Literature, European History, War, 18th Century

544 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Sir Simon Michael Schama is an English historian and television presenter. He specialises in art history, Dutch history, Jewish history, and French history. He is a Professor of History and Art History at Columbia University.

Schama first came to public attention with his history of the French Revolution titled Citizens, published in 1989. He is also known for writing and hosting the 15-part BBC television documentary series A History of Britain (2000—2002), as well as other documentary series such as The American Future: A History (2008) and The Story of the Jews (2013).

Schama was knighted in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Reviews

[Andrew Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second instalment in Simon Schama’s erudite commentary on the history of Britain does, as the title suggests, cover an awful lot of wars. Most often the Britons are fighting amongst themselves, but there’s also room for significant conflicts in India and America. And in Ireland, Oliver Cromwell and his troops commit one of the most infamous slaughters in the long and violent history of this nation.

There’s a long section on Cromwell and I found him to be a particularly interesting character. A master military strategist and fearless fighter, he was also a political leader who rose to become Lord Protector following the execution of Charles I and the temporary abolishment of the monarchy. Actually, the self indulgent Charles had had a pretty chequered life, his rule having coincided with not only the Great Plague but also the Great Fire of London. But history seems to record that he was, in fact, a fairly inept fellow who brought about his own downfall.

There are great stories here but the author’s account is peppered with terminology (mainly religious and political) that ensured I was regularly searching the internet for explanations or for further insight. It’s a book that, I think, presumes some knowledge of events and the background issues at play. However, if (like me) you’re ignorant of such things then it does prompt some wider research. In fact, I found this rewarding, in and of itself.

This account takes the reader up to and through the adventures of the British East India Company in the subcontinent and covers the early years of the British colonisation of the Americas. There is a lot of information here and it is heavy going at times, but I for one cant wait to get my hands on the third and final instalment.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second installment of Schama's History of Britain spans the Stuart Dynasty during the 1600s and the rise of the British Empire during the 1700s.

Schama's explanation of the rise of the African Slave Trade is excellent. The British slave trade essentially got a start after the discovery of the profitability of growing sugar cane in Barbados. He points out that, although there was slavery before the mid-17th century, this was the first case where masses of humans were looked upon simply as units of work that could be bought, sold, re-sold, depreciated, and written off. This event was the largest mass kidnapping and enslaving of people in the history of mankind.

The section on Britain's inroads into North America was also interesting. In his overview, he discusses the impact of the French and Indian War, which set the stage for British domination on the North American continent.

There were parts of the book I found difficult to follow because I believe Schama was writing for a British audience - that is, those who would have a basic familiarity with names and events in British history. Since I am from the other side of the big pond, I missed some of these references and tended to get a bit confused in places. However, despite this, I enjoyed the book and thought it was a good overview of this time period in British history. Also, as I noted in my review of Volume I of this series, I would highly recommend the BBC documentary based on this trilogy that is hosted by Simon Schama. It is an excellent overview of British history.

[Redfox5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I'm given a book, even if nothing about it interests me, I hate giving it away without it being read. You never know what gem may lie inside. When this reached the top of my tbr pile, I was dreading it. Five hundred pages of British history that's not from my favorite period(The Tudors). I was expecting it to drag and I doubted I would bother finishing it.

But here I am! I've read the book! It turned out to a be a riveting history book from a time period that I only had the most basic of knowledge. This covers the start of the Stuart Dynasty, right up until Britain turns its attentions on making India part of the Empire.

Britain looks to India after America declared its independence. I had no idea that one of the turning points in America breaking from the motherland was over a dispute about tea. Tea! The most British of all drinks!

This is a perfect book for anyone wanting to brush up on their British history. Not as heavy as other history books can be, although the book itself is physically heavy ;)

[Kirsten Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't intend to make it a habit to put text books on this site, but this one happens to be the best one I've encountered, and the only one I've actually truly enjoyed reading. Schama, certainly a scholar, is a superb writer with a thorough understanding of his subject matter, in this case the history of the British civil wars. He traces causes and effects clearly without over simplifying matters or people. I would highly recommend the author--as I suspect all his books are worth while--for anyone thinking of studying history as a past time. He is, indeed, that enjoyable.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume II of Simon Schama’s History of Britain purports itself as, “The Wars of the British, 1603-1776” (Volume I presumably compasses the preceding 56 hundred-odd years), but it is in truth, and of necessity, something more than that. While the martial conflicts of that age were certainly of central importance, it is in the smaller human dramas, those that caused the wars and those that resulted from them, that the most important lessons are to be found. This is especially true in this country at this time, as Britain’s struggles both internal and external were the birth pangs of an entity which, more so than any other, would scribe the shape of the world as we know it today: the so-called “empire of liberty”.

In broad terms, the scope of the history presented here should be familiar to anyone with even a cursory education: the Civil War resulting in the execution of Charles I and the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, the Restoration of the Stuart line following Cromwell’s death, the momentous but relatively short-lived instillation of William of Orange during the Glorious Revolution, the institution of the Hanoverian line that continues to this day, and Britain’s imperial adventures in India and North America. What might be less familiar, and what Schama seeks to show, is how each of these events led into the next; the small contemporary issues of policy which became rallying points for various factions until battle lines were drawn, the Rubicon crossed, and the course of history rewritten. The English Civil War, for instance, stemmed from disagreements over the rights and limitations of the monarchy as opposed to Parliament, and it was issues such as ship money, wherein Charles attempted to circumvent parliamentary approval to raise revenue, which brought the conflict to a head. Ironically, it was a similar disagreement over taxes and liberty which provoked the American colonists to shirk the yoke of their governors and found their own nation (an irony not at all lost on Jefferson, Madison, and their colleagues).

Most interestingly to me was the debate which sprang up, or rather revived itself, prior to and during the civil war about the nature and authority of government. For ages monarchs had availed themselves to the Divine Right of kings, the notion that the right to rule was granted by God himself and handed down by direct lineage (or whatever laws applied in the absence thereof). Though this idea had been challenged before, the increasingly secular philosophies of the Enlightenment made it possible to do so on grounds which were previously unthinkable (not only that they were taboo; the capacity to understand a concept such as innate human liberty simply did not exist among the majority of those who might claim it). For Oliver Cromwell, erstwhile protector of the Church of England against the heresies of the Catholic church, some justification had to be found for deposing (murdering, even) the man who had been previously hailed as God’s appointed representative. Ample rhetoric for this purpose was to be found in the pen of Milton, among others, but truly revolutionary ideas were also forthcoming from authors such as Hobbes and Locke. Their writings were to serve as the foundations for a new way of comprehending the relationship between government and governed not just in Britain and her daughter America, but in the entirety of Western civilization and, increasingly, the rest of the world. As a stout defender of the unequivocal sovereignty of God and an equally stalwart champion of individual liberty, the finer points of this debate are of utmost interest to me, and will certainly lead to further reading on the subject (I intend to start Leviathan as soon as my reading schedule allows).

Schama approaches the expanse of history set before him simply by diving right in. Volume II picks up, presumably, right where Volume I left of, with the death of Queen Elizabeth and the ascension of James I and VI. He then runs the narrative in one continuous thread straight through to the end. There are no real divisions in each of the long chapters, and not entirely even between them, making the reading a bit disorienting until one gets the hang of the style. Because Schama moves his account organically along with the events in question, it can often seem as though a theme or thought is abandoned before it is fully developed, while a new thought is examined before returning to the original. This style also affects the nature of Schama’s biographical studies. Leading figures such as Charles I or Cromwell are developed over the period of events in which they figure, giving a more complete but less focused picture, while minor players are somewhat hastily sketched, lest their development derail the thread of the main narrative too long. Presenting the material in this manner certainly requires a good deal of attention on the part of the reader, and favors a compact reading schedule (I found myself flipping back to refresh my memory a few times if I’d let it sit too long), but the task is not one that should be begrudged. The advantage of moving at the speed of the events is just that; the discussion of the current moment naturally gives way to the next one, removing the hazard of getting snagged on any one point.

This is not to say that the narrative is simply a dusty recapitulation of long-past occurrences. Schama is certainly not afraid to add his own insights on the subjects at hand, but neither does he come across as a revisionist seeking to satisfy his own personal vendetta. His conclusions are, for the most part, justifiable by the historical evidence he presents, often citing primary sources. For example, after quoting a passage in which Cromwell defends the brutality of his campaign in Ireland by rendering a harsh indictment of the “lawlesse Rebels,” Schama has this to say: “[The passage:] is not the unwitting confession of a genocidal lunatic, but it is the unwitting confession of a pig-headed, narrow-minded, Protestant bigot and English imperialist. And that is quite bad enough.” This sort of lively criticism pervades the book, but, as it is tempered with acknowledgements of the relative merits of hindsight, as well as equally fervent praise when it is due, the entire account stands as an honest assessment of historical fact rather than a didactic lecture. Schama’s writing style, too, is just as lively and engaging; his sentences are often shining examples of those quirks of the English language which make it such a delight for its authors and such hell for its readers – clauses are inserted or tacked on at will, such that a multitude of thoughts might be expressed all in the space of one breath, particularly to include a well-placed note of sarcastic criticism (and frequently contained in that most nefarious of grammatical devices, the parenthetical expression).

Though not exhaustive by any means, Schama does an excellent job of covering this turbulent period. Many factors contributed to the dissolution of the English civil war and the American revolution, and Schama seeks to give each its full measure in order to paint a complete picture of the underlying reasons behind these upheavals, measuring them against the context of the day, rather than being content with a simple but unjustifiable or anachronistic explanation. And this is the real triumph of Schama’s presentation: history is made alive through the lives that lived it and the issues they debated, according to their standards and often in their own words. As such the modern reader is challenged to reach beyond his own understanding, and Is rewarded with insights which are applicable to his own experience. As this is ultimately the goal of any proper study of history, no further recommendation of Schama’s admirable work need be given. Anyone interested in this time period, or the foundations of American political philosophy, should make an effort to read this book.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the huge amounts of history I've read, I've never been particularly interested in British history. I suppose it's always been all around me and at school appeared to be a procession of dry monarchs' lives which said nothing about the country itself, its people. I wrote a dissertation once on the Chartists and industrial protest interested me, but it interested me more elsewhere, such as Russia, more than in Britain.

So I picked up Simon Schama's 'History of' because I knew I was missing something beyond the historical obsession with Henry VIII and the fact that 'we' 'won' the War. And, yes, in a book that spans almost two whole centuries of the history of a country for which there is more historical material than most, some of it remains uninspiring. But Schama tells of the problems of Thomas Cromwell, the battle to wrest control of Canada from the French, and the East India Company in a way that necessitates attention. He writes plainly of the advantages the British had over their imperial competitors. He calls out British atrocities without whataboutery, sugar coating, or explanation. And he does so with reference to the horror those actions caused at the time, in their own context.

I can't wait to start the next volume.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whereas the first book in Schama's trilogy about British history attempted to cram 5000 years into a single book, with the predictable consequences of too often ending up far too superficial, this one covers the years from the accession of James I through to the American Revolution. Dedicating 500+ pages to a period spanning less then two centuries allows Schama to focus on this civil war-plagued period in far greater depth and detail. As this is also one of the periods of British history I don't know that much about (largely because other periods interest me more and I have therefor spent far more time reading about them) I learned quite a lot. An interesting and informative read I enjoyed far more than the previous book.

[Thomas Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent general overview of the time period taken from the perspective of the social elite for the most part. I don't really like Schama's writing style at all, it's quite 'old school, old boy' which gets very tiresome after a few chapters. Schama is painfully pessimistic about certain events too, something which is apparent in his work on the French Revolution. One thing I will say, however, is that this book is very informative.
If you're going to read this do take in mind that Schama's focus isn't really the history of Britain, but the history of the British elite and the odd obscure figure who he shows off in an effort to include the rest of society.
Too traditional for me I'm afraid.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cavaliers and Roundheads and Redcoats

The second volume of Schama's "History of Britan" is ostensibly about 150+ years of British warfare from the death of Elizabeth to the American Revolution. While that's mostly accurate, the bulk of the work is about the English Civil War(s) during the mid 17th century between Royalists and Parliamentarians.

Since these books coincided with a BBC series of the same name, it was obviously geared towards a British audience and there's a lot of assumed knowledge in the writing. Schama writing gets amusingly punchy/sardonic at times, but for a non-Brit, Schama does not do much to help the reader really understand the driving motivations between each side. And since this conflict takes up about 3/4 of the book, it's a shortcoming.

So while the section on the American Revolution is "better" (or rather, more familiar), there's still a sense that Schama doesn't really have a solid sense of how he wanted to present either the British Civil Wars or the American Revolution. They both definitely *happened* -- but things are a little loose as to the whys and hows. We are not presented with a through military or political history for either conflict. The end result is an interesting if simultaneously over- and underwhelming history.

[Beverley · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I had enjoyed Volume 1 of this series I was looking forward to reading the second part. Unfortunately I found it much less readable and far more hard going. Unlike the first part the narrative is more detailed, covering a much shorter time span. I will read the final volume...but not just yet!!

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant listen. I like the way Simon Schama balances the judgements of hindsight with the evidence of what people thought at the time. He never excuses the horrors of history, in this volume slavery is a key issue, but keeps a perspective which allows those who objected from the start to be heard as loudly as those who perpetrated the atrocities which creates a less judgemental view of events.

[Christopher Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather dry telling of the civil war and early empire years of Britain but overall enjoyable.
Schama, as in part one, shares just enough detail to keep the book interesting without making it so long it would be unreadable without making it too short that there’s no real information to digest.

[Perry Whitford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first part in Schama's trilogy of British history covered just over four and a half thousand years. This second part covers just over one hundred and fifty, from the coronation of King James I to the rise of the British Raj in India.

In his foreword to this idiosyncratic and entertaining read, Schama has his argument to pick with the opinion of his peers, as all historians do, but he gets it out of the way early and doesn't keep referring back to it.

His summary of the period is to come out in support of the unfassionable old Victorian fallacy of looking at British history 'backwards' from their own lofty perch, deeming the past of the Civil War and Glorious Revolution as inevitable and necessary steps towards achieving the constitutional democracy they so enjoyed and idealized.

Schama doesn't see things as black and white as the Victorians such as Carlyse and MacCauley, but he does attack their detractors, who dismissed the execution of Charles I as something of an accident rather than as a consequence of the prevailing conflict.

If James I was wily, his son and successor Charles I was hopelessly inflexible, effectively colluding in his own execution by his belief that it was his Divine Right to rule. If he could have compromised on that, he would have kept his head.

Constitutional reform could so easily have prevented the Civil War, where most of the 'Roundheads' had no original conception of England without a king. Cromwell, despite his reluctance to be so much as a dictator, did actually consider the option of taking the crown.

After the Restoration, the twin shadows of Jacobitism and the Sun King animate British politics for the next hundred years, culminating in the Scottish defeat at Culloden in 1746.

Thereafter the vanquished joined the victors to become 'Britannia Incorporated', the Scots as much as the English paving the way for the British Empire, albeit the 'wrong Empire'; not based - as advertised - on liberty and shared interests, but rather on coercion and exploitation.

Schama pulls no punches on the hypocrisy and cruelty inherent in Britain's reliance on African slaves for its empire, something they tended to gloss over in my history lessons at school. (I'm looking at you Mr. Milne!)

In order to bring the history alive, Schama pulls on the first-hand testimony of minor yet heavily involved figures to illuminating effect, such as Edmund and Ralph Verney, brothers on opposite sides of the argument during the Civil War; and Olahdah Equino, and African slave who lived through some of the worst conditions en route and in Barbados, writing an account of what he saw and endured.

There are also copious maps, portraits, paintings, politically motivated woodcuts and photographs of extant buildings which all serve the narrative directly.

The three books were made into a fifteen part TV series, enthusiastically narrated by the energetic author, and you can't help but hear him spitting out his own idiomatically stressed pronunciations as you read the text, loaded with pointed and ironical parentheses.

History made accessible and, at times, even exciting!

Gulp.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read this book several years ago, and the others in the series, I decided to revisit this book but in audio format. This is a good listen and one that I got on really well with, but I did find my attention drifting from time to time.

For me, I do think the book is much better to keep my attention than the audio.

[Jogle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m writing this having now read the whole of Schama’s ‘A History of Britain’ trilogy. Having one day watched ‘The King’s Speech’ I realised I knew so little about my own country's history outside of the big date history –1066, 1966 etc.- and decided I had to learn. Being a pedant I jumped straight in with this three-book history of the whole thing by the current mainstream poster boy for the subject. I haven’t read much history and sort of dabbled with the books slowly over the period of a year or so, looking up subjects that caught my interest. If this sounds a bit like your style of history reading, these books are perfect. They are books that will suit those like myself turned off by academic style histories (maybe these are for those that already have the framework that these books offer) but it is also fair to say that if you don’t know anything of the events some wiki-reading on the side may be necessary.

Of the three in this overall excellent series, I found this slightly the weakest. Running from the end of the Elizabethan era up to and slightly beyond American Independence it covers mainly events that precipitated the Civil Wars, the growth of a mercantile empire and the forced choice of the ‘wrong empire’ as Britain looked mainly eastward after the loss of the Americas. Schama continues in this very fluid narrative style often illustrating the big events through the eyes of the peripheral characters and common man.

Remember that Schama is an art historian so his history is often reflected in the artistic culture of the period. In the earlier book painting, sculpture and architecture have prominence and in the later books the printed word begins to have a greater influence in his style. An example is his introduction to Cromwell’s rise to power where he uses Torricelli’s 1644 vacuum experiment, which yielded the barometer and Hobbs’s Leviathan to introduce the idea that Cromwell was needed to fill the void that the rump parliament had no mandate or confidence in filling. Milton then takes a main part in explaining the events that follow.

Always remembering to show how historical events moulded Britain and its place in the modern world of the reader, Schama finds angles of perspective missing form school history, although something in the fluidity of this volume seems slightly less confident than in the other two books, particularly in the complexity of Cromwell’s rise to power that becomes slightly confused with too much peripheral reference. Still an excellent read.

[Checkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Simon Schama. I had never heard of the man when I saw the reruns of Part One of History of Britain on the History Channel in the fall of 2001. I was impressed and watched part two later that year.

So by the end of 2001 I had enjoyed both installments of Schama's television series, It was with with great anticipation that I purchased both book companion pieces. I was dissapointed with volume 1 - probably with a stronger sense than normal since I spent so much money on it. Schama tried to cover several thousand years in one rather slim volume and it didn't work.

Nevertheless I ventured into the second volume and within the first fifty pages realized that at least part of my money was well spent. Volume two is much more focused, covering approximately 175 years. As another reviewer has observed this volume consists of an in-depth look at 17th century England. It's an excellent account of the English Civil War,Oliver Cromwell dictatorship, and the Restoration of the English monarchy. The chapter on the Restoration is over seventy pages long, a well written account of twenty - eight years. In comparison Schama covers several centuries in the same amount of space in volume one and it shows.

Schama also examines England on the social and economic level during the eighteenth century. Covering the beginning of the British Empire, the birth of modern caitalism, unification of England and Scotland and, of course, the American Revolution. This part is also well written and researched, but I found the first half to be suspenseful as well as insightful and dramatic. The second half tends towards a drier academic air - not a bad thing, just not as gripping.

Schama is a narrative historian, more of a storyteller than an academic. His writing is fast moving and he isn't afraid to take a stand, even if it tends to go against the popular opinion. The book itself consists of good quality paper and binding and it has some very nice illustrations throughout. While I have a few quibbles with his style, I think he should of had annotated notes at the end for example, overall I'm very impressed with the second volume. It isn't cheap, but it is worth it. I'll keep both books on my shelf, but I definitely see myself refering to volume two more often.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible. I enjoyed it. Simon Schama writes less a history of what, when and where and more of who and why. If volume 1 felt to be a bit too much of a list of monarchs, this one was different. Yes, he discusses the monarchs, the Tudors through to the Hanoverians, but his focus is more the governance of Britain and, increasingly, British interests. The section on the English Civil War was especially interesting and I do feel that I have a better understanding of why. As an Irish American who now lives in England, I found the sections on the American colonies refreshing. My education in that matter was decidedly one sided. Schama puts the American Revolution into the context of the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution. By deposing two kings, the British were setting themselves up for a fall by not learning the lessons of those experiences.

The only downside was I couldn't really get a sense of the India section. Maybe I was distracted or maybe I don't have enough background to keep it all straight. But no matter, the book was worth listening to. There were several times when I thought that if this had been written today, more would have been made on the connections between Britain and Europe then as now. As well, the Scottish question needs a better understanding of the events leading up to the Act of Union. In this fast changing world, we desperately need to remember how we got here so that we don't mess it up moving forward. Unfortunately, people are pretty good at getting things wrong.

[Jim Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the second in a series that starts with a book that covers 3500+ years of history of the UK. In comparison this book overs a shorter period of time (175ish years), and is better for it I think. The previous book covered much of the history that any kid would remember from school (i.e. the Roman Invasion to Queen Elizabeth i). This book covers from shortly after her death to the loss of the US colonies and the take over of India.

Because my schoolboy history stops pretty much where the last book ends, I found this book more interesting. It still reads a bit like the "Greatest Hits of British History" inasmuch as he jumps from king to king to king, as if that was the only history that mattered (a grumble I had with the last book too), but because I was less aware of the history, it was more interesting.

The things I did learn focus on quite how much the early empire was held together by chicken wire and duct tape (instead of the many splendoured thing it's presented as in retrospect), and the fact that I suspected in my head that the British were more advanced than the American backwoodsmen that won the War of Independence, when I'm left with the impression now that they weren't.

[Titus Hjelm · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 stars. This one flowed somehow better than the previous one, but the one-sidedness was jarring. For military and political history, it works fine, but intellectual history gets a nod and cultural history basically consists of the mention of John Milton. Most glaringly, there is almost nothing about the economic history of the period which changed the planet forever. I refuse to believe that a popular readership could not stomach a broader view of history. Ah well.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume II of the three volume series gave me more of what I am seeking than Volume I.
Specifically I am trying to fully understand how Britain gave the Founding Fathers of the United States the various ideas needed to invent the modern world.
In the first volume we have the Magna Charta and the beginnings of a Parliament and the liberal progress in the reign of Elizabeth I. So a good start.
In this volume we have the almost huge step forward when Oliver Cromwell tries to invent the modern world by himself, in response to the despotic demands of James I and successors.
But here ended the ideas for the most part and the United States took it from there.
Read again in June/July 2017 because I can't find any new books. I was impressed once more at what a ghastly history Britain has of monarchs. Not hard to see why the U.S. was smart enough to realize that monarchs are for fools who don't know their own rights.

[Huw Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

My knowledge of history is sparse - when i was at school it was kings and dates between 45BC and 1603. When we got to 1603 we started again. As a result my knowledge of world history is poor and the events after 1603 a mystery. Schama has, with his usual clarity, lightened some of my darkness and I have to thank him for it. Unlike many historians he is clear and non-judgemental in his writing which allows me to form my own opinions about events and to see parallels in the present day.

[Richard Hardie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully put together, if a little bit episodic. Great colour photos and very well written.
I've now read all three of Simon Scharma's works in the History of Britain trilogy. BOOk 3 is the hardest to get through, probably because the history is the most recent. However the first two volumes are highly informative and well worth reading by anyone who is really interested in discovering our history, when it all seemed so dry and distant at school!

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a while to get into this one, mostly because I went off on a fiction-reading tangent and then I sort of got out of a reading mood for a while, but I just ate my way through the last 140 pages tonight, mostly because it's due back at the library at another patron's request, mind you. I preferred the first half to the second, mainly due to the fact that I am much more interested in royalty than in colonizing politicians.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent history--Simon Schama continues the superb work he started in Volume 1. I have to confess that I cheated on bits, and watched the accompanying DVDs, instead of reading the whole thing--but it's very engaging reading, full of pictures, and glimpses into the lives of people who are long dead, and yet seem alive in these books and DVDs.

[Bettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

G:\AUDIO BOOKS\Non Fiction\A History of Britain 1603 - 1776 The British Wars

I am just at the Covenanters Cause where Hugh McKail is recalled. He was my mothers great great(ad infinitum) grandfather:

http://reformedcovenanter.wordpress.c...

[Lynne Stringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series and Simon Schama's style, which made it easy to remain engaged in what is, especially over the course of three books, a mine of information on the history of Britain. It was informative and entertaining.

[Gort · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cupiditate incidunt in velit voluptatem. Eos voluptatem autem dolor perspiciatis expedita. Odit dolores rerum quisquam consequatur labore quia et. Accusantium eos non dignissimos.

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5-5 stars; I bought the hardcover after watching the program hosted by the author many years ago. I got the audiobook to accompany my reading, always helpful with nonfiction, it keeps me on task, my mind doesn’t wander!

I have enjoyed everything I’ve watched and read by Schama - he’s so articulate and informative, but his dry humor shines through. I read the first volume of his history of Britain many years ago, so wanted to carry on.

Being an American, some of the names of government figures or battles, treaties, political movements, events, etc., were unfamiliar to me. I was unclear on the series of events leading up to the deposition and beheading of the king, Charles I, and subsequent Cromwell Protectorate. I wanted to understand the religious and political situation in England, because I’ve been reading about the Revolutionary War in the US, and want to go further back to read about the Mayflower and the original Pilgrim settlers (we learn a simple version in grade school, and Thanksgiving is at the end of November!) I knew there was more to the story, and that religious upheaval continuing in Europe and England drove different religious sects like the pilgrims to look for settlements where they could live according to their beliefs. This history was very helpful understanding the conflicts and movements happening in England at the time.

It was also interesting to see the Revolutionary War from the British viewpoint, and how, as ever, France, Spain, and religion (mostly Catholicism) drove much of the decision making process.

I want to read more about India and its history, also, and I know the British Raj played a big part for a few hundred years. This book finishes around 1776-80, so gave me an idea of the beginning of the story. I look forward to reading further. I see my library has the original television program based on Schama’s history, I may have to check it out.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another engaging, wide-ranging episode in the history of these islands.
Schama covers the lives of the poor as well as the rich and powerful (I just get fed up with reading the history of monarchs and generals!)
I was never bored, or angered by the usual narrow anglocentrism of many historians of “Britain”. We Scots were here, too, still are, with our own legal and education system and worldview; I am ashamed to admit that Charles I was one of ours (possibly the worst Scotsman ever born).
Schama is more charitable than me about the National Covenant; I thought it was rather vainglorious on our part to adopt a covenant with the good Lord without waiting for Him to suggest it, but I did already see the parallel with the Jews.
One of the saddest things for me about the Acts of Union for Scotland, is that we lost our European outlook, necessary for a small nation with big, bossy neighbours. Some vestiges of our affiliation with Europe was revealed in the solid “Remain” majority in the EU Referendum, compared with the marginal “Leave” decision of English voters.
It’s arguable that the Stuart dynasty lost all common sense and moderation on the day James VI arrived in London as James I. Thus, the Bishops Wars of the two Charleses created many more martyrs than the Scots Reformation ever did. Schama does not say that sectarian violence in Scotland (and, arguably Ireland) was inaugurated by the Stuarts in their efforts to impose Anglicanism (that is, the complete power of kings over religion), but managing to dump all the blame on the Catholic/Presbyterian disputes. To this day, Presbyterian martyrdoms by Anglicans in my native Southwest Scotland are attributed to Catholicism by the Orange Order.

[Richard Olney · Rating 5 out of 5]

While it was the epic TV series, which i loved, which this and the other two volumes were based upon that rekindled or maybe even started proper my interest with history, it is only now that i am reading the series of books. My reasoning is that i spent so much time with the "talking" version of the three books, they are brilliant for long car journeys, especially in the darker months.

On finally reading the book i would say that this is the volume from which most was cut from the talking version, on many occasions i was happily reading paragraphs i knew, often in the voice of the wonder Timothy West who narrates the audio, only to be jolted back into my own voice by all the extra parts. There's a lot more here about the Jacobean inspired civil wars of the early 1700s and so much more on the background and consequences of the American Revolutionary War. I suppose there is only so much space in an hour of television and on a CD.

I'm very glad i read the book, more surprised than ashamed that it's taken me all these years and very pleased i decided to watch the TV series. It's in the first volume I think that Simon Schama says that history, especially British History should be as much pleasure as instruction. With the hand-wringing over Empire, most of which is surely justified, it's difficult to imagine either the programme or the books being made in quite the same way today. I am very interested to see how, should this type of venture be attempted again how different it will be.