Great Tales from English History, Vol 2: Joan of Arc, the Princes in the Tower, Bloody Mary, Oliver Cromwell, Sir Isaac Newton & More

by Robert Lacey

Unforgettable stories from the England of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and beyond-the rich second volume of great tales by a master of British popular history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature, Historical, Medieval, Reference, Politics

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2004

About the author

Robert Lacey is a British historian noted for his original research, which gets him close to - and often living alongside - his subjects. He is the author of numerous international bestsellers.

After writing his first works of historical biography, Robert, Earl of Essex and Sir Walter Ralegh, Robert wrote Majesty, his pioneering biography of Queen Elizabeth II. Published in 1977, Majesty remains
acknowledged as the definitive study of British monarchy - a subject on which the author continues to write and lecture around the world, appearing regularly on ABC's Good Morning America and on CNN's Larry King Live.

The Kingdom, a study of Saudi Arabia published in 1981, is similarly acknowledged as required reading for businessmen, diplomats and students all over the world. To research The Kingdom, Robert and his wife Sandi took their family to live for eighteen months beside the Red Sea in Jeddah. Going out into the desert, this was when Robert earned his title as the "method actor" of contemporary biographers.

In March 1984 Robert Lacey took his family to live in Detroit, Michigan, to write Ford: the Men and the Machine, a best seller on both sides of the Atlantic which formed the basis for the TV mini-series of the same title, starring Cliff Robertson.

Robert's other books include biographies of the gangster Meyer Lansky, Princess Grace of Monaco and a study of Sotheby's auction house. He co- authored The Year 1000 - An Englishman's World, a description of life at the turn of the last millennium. In 2002, the Golden Jubilee Year of Queen Elizabeth II, he published Royal (Monarch in America), hailed by Andrew Roberts in London's Sunday Telegraph as "compulsively readable", and by Martin Amis in The New Yorker as "definitive".

With the publication of his Great Tales Robert Lacey returns to his first love - history. Robert Lacey is currently the historical consultant to the award-winning Netflix series "The Crown".

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first volume in Mr. Lacey’s historical tour of England, this second volume (spanning 1387 - 1687) was equally fabulous. The author has an easy, non-threatening approach to history and his introduction at the start of this book is excellent. From milestones that steered England’s future to the invention of the equal sign, these three hundred years were packed with enlightening events, ideas, and of course, people. There’s also a wonderful appendix at the end of the book where the author describes places of interest to visit if you would like to investigate further. Overall, this was a light, extremely accessible overview of three hundred awe-inspiring years!

[Kara Babcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second in a somewhat unintentional trio of books set (or partially set) in seventeenth-century England. It’s “somewhat” because once I got them all from the library, I decided to read them consecutively and see how such a thematic grouping affected my perception of them. Alas, all three have been somewhat disappointing. I find Elizabethan England fascinating, and I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the reigns of James I, Charles I, the Commonwealth, the Restoration, etc. However, I was expecting a little more depth from this book.

I had actually intended to read Volume 1 first, but the titles as they were entered into the library’s database were identical, so this was the one that I put on hold. Oh well! I don’t hold that against it; this is also a fine period in English history, which in general I find so fascinating. The British Isles have been invaded so many times, and as Robert Lacey notes in his introduction, these events have gone a long way to defining Britain as a nation and shaping its people. Even after the Norman conquest caused things to settle down, England was far from a stable place: it seems like almost every monarch faced some sort of challenge or another. In fantasy, we often get this idea that most monarchs are firmly ensconced, with decades or centuries of ancestors on the throne (and sometimes, thanks to magical means, this is the case). Not so for England! And the various claimants might be related to each other in confusing and, frankly, disturbing ways.

Lacey covers England from 1387 to 1687, beginning with Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and concluding with Sir Isaac Newton. He spends most of his time on the Tudor and Elizabethan era, however, describing in some detail the break from Rome and the subsequent confusion over what sort of Protestant country England is, or if it is even Protestant at all. In many ways, I found Great Tales very helpful: I had a vague idea about certain aspects of this time period, such as the oppression of Catholics, but Lacey fleshed that out with specifics. Similarly, I learned about items that don’t always come up in, say, historical fiction: Lacey discusses the creation of the King James Bible, although that also features in Hell and Earth . This is definitely an enlightening book.

So why do I say I expected more depth? Well, the stories are each quite short: most seem to be about five or six pages long. Lacey has broken up 300 years of English history into a series of very short vignettes—I could see each becoming perhaps a fifteen-minute episode to air on History Television. This is a perfectly legitimate decision on Lacey’s part, and it might well work for some people. However, I found that it prevented me from immersing myself in the narrative behind the story. I couldn’t get attached to the characters, if you will. As much as this book provided me with interesting facts, they are all presented in the form of mere anecdotes. I would be much better served reading several longer, more comprehensive stories about specific parts of English history.

This disappointment is entirely a result of a difference between what I expected and what the book turned out to be, and it’s not because the book is poorly written. If you want a survey of England from the late fourteenth century up until Isaac Newton’s ascendancy to scientific stardom, then Great Tales from English History (Volume 2) will deliver. If you are looking for something that goes beyond the surface and presents specific tales at a more sedate pace, then I would recommend finding a book that focuses on that tale and getting it from your local library (or a nearby bookstore).

[John Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very colorful history of England, full of interesting facts and some myths. And it's all about the monarchs. A good overview and easy reading, highlighting what could be a complex history. A story of intrigue, infighting, power struggles, killing of competing family members, and the lopping off of heads. The narration is very good, with short chapters and sprinkled with some light humor. A good continuation of volume 1, covering years 1387 to 1687. The book includes family trees of kings, queens and nobles and is a must to easily follow the lineage.

After reading the two volumes of English history, I thought why on earth do monarchies even constitutional monarchies still exist. To paraphrase the author, the things we do not know about history far outnumber the things we do know.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Grade = 83% - B

Published 2004. 236 pages.

I didn’t realize until I began to write this review that this was the second book in a three volume set, as it says nothing of the kind on the cover, flyleaf, or inside. I’m assuming that the author wrote this one first and that the others came later.

This rather short book contains 51 short chapters on interesting tidbits of British history from Chaucer and his making of the English language to Isaac Newton and his apples. Included are Bloody Mary, Jane Grey, the Princes in the Tower, Joan of Arc and the origin of the House of Tudor.

As a former British Literature teacher and traveler to England, I found it most interesting.

[Andrew Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of books. Each chapter is concise and interesting, written in a more prose style than true academic which draws the reader in. I'm more familiar with this period of his history so I didn't learn as much as I did in the first book, but it definitely was worth my while reading as there is always something which I didn't know. A great chapter was all about Issac Newton and his troubled upbringing. I didn't know anything about this. The beauty of this series of books is that everything is brief; a taster so that you can go and delve further into a topic if you want to. Nothing is laboured on, but equally, nothing feels rushed or not worth including. Lacey plough's through history with a very deft touch. I can't wait to start the final volume.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I am reading these books out of order because that is how the library sent them to me. I don't care, I can now go back to volume one with little hassle. I cannot recommend these three volumes highly enough if you have a love for or a desire to understand more of English history. There are a number of things that I have had to write down that I want to study at greater depth, but the overview that Mr. Lacey offers is superb. Even my children would have to admit that they got caught up in some of the stories (I am listening to these via book on disk in the car as I drive). Well written and researched, I cannot wait to get to the other volumes.

[Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely readable book about historical figures in English history. The chapters were short, so the book lent itself easily to utilizing brief snatches of time. I've always been rather hazy on which monarchs came after which monarchs and where old Oliver Cromwell fitted in. I think anyone who reads this book would be favorably disposed to reading more English history if it were written in the same vein. I especially enjoyed the chapter on Joan of Arc which made her almost human. If history were taught in this fashion, it would be more popular with adolescemts. in my opinion.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

All those fascinating stories from English History you can never keep straight, re-told beautifully. Lacey cruises from one major figure to the next, enlivening each one with the best details and leaving out what you never wanted to know anyway. These stories live and breathe, fill you with sympathy and horror, and leave you remembering more about English history than you ever thought possible.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part 2 of Lacey's quick overview of British history. Like book 1, this is a very concise summary of what's happened, though he provides an extensive bibliography for extra reading.

I have quite a lot of fun with these books, despite the fact that I'll probably have forgotten the names of all the rulers tomorrow. Still, not a bad way to spend your time and definitely a good introduction to British history.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, concise collection of the main points of history from Chaucer to the Glorious Revolution. Easy and entertaining to read with lots of bibliography notes if you want to delve deeper.
Shame it is not properly listed on Goodreads.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good walk through of the major events in middle English history. A little disjointed but nevertheless an interesting read.

[Bob Schmitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a series of vignettes of English history that are interesting and easily digested.

I learned that the black death of 1348 and subsequent pandemics the bubonic plagues wiped out half of the English population. One result was that land became cheaper, wages rose and there was a new scramble for economic gain.

Richard II came into power and in his 22 years of reign parliament met only six times. He made peace with France ending the hundred years war and lived off his own estates so there was little need for taxes. The citizenry appreciated this as whenever Parliament met soon the taxman would be roaming the countryside to raise money for whatever Parliament had decided to do.

In 6th grade I was in a play “Dick Whittington And His Cat” which was the height of my theatrical career. Now I know what the story was based on. In the play Whittington was a poor man who came to London, was accused of stealing a necklace and fled to the Barbary Coast where his cat rid of the palace of rats and he was on rewarded with enormous pots of gold. He returned to London to be mayor three times. Except for the cat much of the story is true. Whittington was a third son and was to inherit nothing. He went to London and worked in a shop that sold cloth, some of it from the Barbary Coast and some of it going to the royal family. He eventually got into banking and became the largest banker in London lending large storms to the king. He did once lose a royal necklace that he had taken as collateral and had to replace it. He died without children and distributed his vast fortune throughout London. He did not have a cat that anyone knows of. There were many stories already in Persia and Egypt of cats that let their masters to fortune in the story probably migrated into the Whittington story.

The battle of Agincourt 1415. King Henry V had 6000 men many suffering from dysentery facing 20,000 Frenchman. 80% of the Englishman were archers with long bows, It rained the night before and the field was muddy slowing the French cavalry. After the battle the white feathers of the English arrows sticking in the ground in horses and men was said to look like snow. The English lost 200 soldiers the French 7000. The English captured several hundred French noblemen but had not disarmed them. During a counter attack Henry felt they were a threat and had them killed. The French remember this to this day.

Henry V. On the king's death Tudor married his widow, Catherine of Valois

After Henry V died in 1422 Queen Catherine of Valois married a Welshman, Theodore. As was the custom among the Welch he had no last name. He was probably her wardrobe attendant. It is reported that she saw him bathing in the Thames, liked what she saw and married him. As he had no last name, Theodore became Tudor. Katherine bore him 2 sons. He was later killed. But the house of Tudor had begun.

In the 30 odd years of the War of the Roses there were actually only 18 weeks of fighting and very few roses on the banners of the battlefields. This terminology was a later invention. Wars at that time in England did not end up with the burning of villages and decimation of populations. There was a battle some people were killed and then everyone went home back to their farming. It was actually a prosperous time in the late 1500s.

There is evidence in letters discovered in archives in Spain that fisherman from Bristol “discovered“ the New World prior to Christopher Columbus though probably after the Vikings, but did not make it known as they were there for the cod and didn’t want to let other people know of these rich fishing grounds. They were not interested in the land they had found but just in the cod in the fertile fishing area off of New England and Nova Scotia

John Cabot was actually Juan from Genoa (as was Christopher Columbus.) He asked the king in the 1490s to finance a trip of discovery westward and though the king would not finance it he did promise John that he would not have to pay taxes on any good he brought back. In 1497 Cabot took a crew of 15 and a sailing fishing boat and headed westward. They landed in Nova Scotia did not go inland but instead fished for cod. They did not need to use nets but could simply drop down a basket and pull it up full of fish.

In the 1520’s William Tyndale translated the Bible into English. Had command of eight languages. He coined many expressions that live on to this day: The salt of the earth, signs of the times, powers that be, bald as a coot, eat drink and be merry, I am my brother’s keeper, fight the good fight, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. When he couldn’t find the right word, he invented it: scapegoat and brokenhearted. He came up with “In the beginning there was the Word and the Word was with God. He had claimed that the Bible did not allow Henry the eighth to divorce Catherine of Aragon. That was his death sentence. Henry VIII agents arrested him in Antwerp and he was burned at the stake as a heretic in 1535.

In the early 16th century the church was by far the largest and landowner in England there was 7000 priests and monks in England and Thomas Cromwell got the idea that since the church wasn’t perfect why should they be holding all of this land. Investigators were sent out to examine all the monasteries and parishes and discovered or invented sins in every corner. Cromwell’s inquisitors established the evidence for the biggest land grab in English history. Starting in 1536 the smaller monasteries were closed. This was done not without some resistance as these monasteries represented the social security system of the countryside. 40,000 protesters rose up in northern England. Henry the eighth unable to raise an army in time made peace with the rebels and agreed to some of their demands. However, the next year his army and wreaked havoc in the villages of Cumberland. He hung villagers and priests and took over church and monastery lands. He used these lands to pay off the nobleman who supported him.

Henry VIII was a rather despicable person but a great king. He tore off the Catholic stranglehold on England, the laws of England were strengthened as was the English treasury by the selling of monastic lands. And he did all this without an army.

His daughter the daughter of Queen Mary was a Catholic and reinstated the catholic legislation including the burning of heretics. Burning of heretics was actually quite popular prior to the reformation in that people felt that it made them holier to reduce dissidents to ashes. As soon as Mary became queen the Catholic rituals began again and the burnings began again. In the four years since it began 200 men and 50 women were burned at the stake and once eager people soon turned against it.

Families would sometimes bribe the executioners to tie a bag of gun powder around the condemned person’s neck as to quicken their death.

Mary’s reign turned England fiercely against the Catholic Church and to this day it is illegal for English royalty to be Catholic or marry a Catholic. The Troubles in northern Ireland can be traced back to this period.

In 1587 Robert Recorde, a Welsh physician and mathematician, having already introduced the pre-existing plus sign (+) to English speakers in 1557, invented the equals sign (=) which saved a great amount of time from writing out each time “is equal to”.

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth in order to support the fishing trade it became compulsory to eat fish on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Sir Francis Drake and the Spanish Armada. The British and Spanish ships were about the same size, however, the British ships were sleek and maneuverable for piracy in coastal waters, and the Spanish ships were more rounded for caring gold across the Atlantic. Furthermore, the British ships carried twice the cannons of the Spanish in large part because of Henry the eighth who took an interest in canons and made a lot of cannons out of the copper and tin that he removed from the bells of the monasteries he closed. During the battle Francis Drake nearly scuttled the plans as he took off to capture a single disable Spanish vessel for himself breaking formation with the other British ships. The British ships harried the Spanish northward and eventually forced them out of the north end of the channel.

In 1596, a flush toilet was invented and built for Britain's Queen Elizabeth I by her Godson, Sir John Harrington.

The Puritans who landed on Plymouth Rock from the town of Scooby in England. The inventory of their clothes upon their deaths included green and red and pants and shirts and not the somber black in which we to pick them today in fact buckles on their boots were not invent it until years later.

There are more streets in England named after Cromwell than any other person except queen Victoria. He raised a parliamentary army against King Charles first and in 132 battles had no losses. Edward the first had expelled the Jews from England. When Oliver Cromwell headed up the protectorate after murder of Charles II, he held that people should be able to believe whatever they wanted as long as they obeyed the law. This inspired a rabbi in the Netherlands to come and talk with Cromwell about having Jews come back to England. In 1656 Jews begin to worship openly in a synagogue in London. Eventually they were 30 or 40 families mostly of Portuguese origin dealing mostly in gem stones living in London

Sir Isaac Newton: Newton had an unhappy childhood. His mom gave him up when she married a man who had no time for children. An uncle took him in and provided him with schooling. He recounts the time when an apple fell from a tree and he wondered why it always felt in a straight line down and never up. It was 20 years later that he developed the theory of gravity. In the meantime, while at Oxford he put a prism in front of a small hole in the shutter in his room and looked at the rainbow of colors on the opposite wall. The belief was that the prism somehow colored the light. However, Newton put a second prison in front of the first and the light did not get darker but returned to clear. He therefore deduced that the prism broke the light apart and then put it back together.

Halley of Halley’s comet asked Newton how the planets moved and Newton replied that they moved in ellipses and that he had already worked out all the math and that he wourl write it down for him. Newton wrote his legendary book Principia Mathematica. Newton was not a very sociable person and in fact often gave lectures to empty rooms because the students couldn’t understand him. It was Haley who promoted his work and had Principia published.

Newton spent much of his time working on alchemy and biblical prophecy. The word scientific and physics were not invented in his time.

[Best_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking the reader on a journey starting from Chaucer;
passing through the Wars of the Roses, Tudors, Civil War, the Great Fire of London; and ending up with Isaac Newton and an apple is no mean feat. These centuries of English history are some of the most hotly debated and intensely studied and Lacey’s chronological consideration of each pivotal point is engaging, interestingly and accessible.

Although perhaps the advantage of accessibility also provides my main issue with this book. While I truly enjoyed reading his insights and previously unknown (to me!) facts I was also taken by the lack of historical cynicism, challenge and depth. For example, while acknowledging the power of Margaret Beaufort and, to a certain extent, Elizabeth I he did not delve deeper into some of the other female players and the roles they played in shaping our history (and therefore our present). This is a trap that traditional historians have fallen into over the years but I wanted more from Lacey. Equally, while questioning some of the perceived wisdom around events, he wrote casually about the great fire and the role of straw roofs in its spread. In fact while fire regs were not the top consideration of Charles II subjects, the dangers of such roofing material was already widely known and subsequently condemned by the authorities, such as they were in 1666. The deep unpopularity of the Charles II debauched court was also mentioned as a slight but in fact was hugely significant before the fire and revealed a King out of touch with his subjects.

Despite my reservations however, I really think this book is worth a read - and accessible enough as a first taste for those unfamiliar with the times. For example, religion was indeed the maker of history throughout this period and I feel Lacey made this clear for anyone new to the events being discussed. I liked the short chapters - allowing readers to dip rather than read the whole book in one go (although I did the latter!) and I enjoyed the fillers about children’s toys and plague village. This is not an academic work but instead a well told story reference book - for this reason it is worthy of 4 stars.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Which Robert Lacey basically tells a bunch of anecdotes from English history. And it is specifically English history, by the by. He says in his introduction that he would quite like to write Great Tales from Scottish, Welsh, and Irish History serieses as well.

Anyway. Lacey makes sure the anecdotes are as historically accurate and well-sourced as he can manage, but apart from that, this is basically just a bunch of good stories arranged in loosely chronological order. I enjoyed it, but I already had a reasonably good grasp of English history. If you're new to English history, these books will only confuse you. However, if you've got a pretty good handle on it already, these books do a good job of bringing history to life, of picking up on good stories and telling them well. He also, and this I really liked, picked up on the stories that are not true, or at least that cannot be proved, and explaining his theories as to why they've endured. For example, the story of Alfred and the cakes is unlikely, but Lacey thinks it humanizes Alfred and makes him into the considerate and compassionate king that England needed after a long time of Vikings. It's a good read, and one I enjoyed.

[Joe Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second volume (of three I think) of the author's series of "Great Tales from English History" and I can safely say that if you liked the first volume, you'll like this one. The author's emphasis is on history as a series of connected narratives, and he really focuses on story telling. And I think he does a good job.

This volume covers the time from the reign of Richard II to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and so encompasses things like the War of the Roses, Henry VIII, The English Reformation, the Spanish Armada, Lady Jane Grey and the English Civil War to name a few. As in the first volume, each story is presented individually, though they are in chronological order. Because the time span is shorter than in the previous volume, the stories are more interconnected.

While this is probably not suitable for a serious student of English history, it's a well-written and easy to read introduction to some of the more interesting parts of English history. And I recommend it.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lacey does another fine job majoring on the brief character or event sketch, making history colorful and vivacious. The Plantagenet dynasty, the Hundred Years War, the Black plague, the rise of the Tudors, the English Reformation, and the plunge into the Stuart dynasty come alive with bold strokes. There are some matters of concern...religion is sometimes made into a more antagonistic, or at time ancillary, force that it should be. And Lacey wrote this well before other events have reshaped his declarations (for example, that Richard III's body was thrown into a river when within the past decade his bones were unearthed beneath a car park). Still, this is popular history in the grand style, and there are many worse ways to spend an evening in an armchair.

[LARRY WOLF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summaries of England's most important historical figures

Laceys summaries involve mostly its kings and queens with a smattering of writers and a few other luminaries. After all their decisions shaped the events that formed the nation for good or for ill. In the early 21st century our political leader mostly react to technological and social changes much beyond their control. Then the decisions of rulers had more immediate impact. Cruelty was accepted as,part of life and kings lorded it over everyone else with a level of savagery that shocks readers today. Lacey mostly refrains from moral judgments and helps us understand the mindsets of these distant ancestors for whom religion formed the greater part of a tribal identity.

[John Kriegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kingdom for a scanner that can read numbers and punctuation!

The quickly evident lack of proofreading of this ankle-deep review of English history out this pamphlet on its back foot from the first. There were a few nuggets, in particular about the "spoilt child" @ p. 168. But overall the presentations were shallow and reminded the reader of the tomes that have been written on each separate chosen chapter. There was an irresistible draw to read the next and the next, but overall the servings were lightweight and screamed for more detail. Interesting, but unsatisfying in the final analysis.

[arkan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't read Vol 1 before diving into this, but this was an immensely enjoyable read on English history, if a little too surface. Some parts can be a little hard to follow, but I suppose that is because the stories themselves are wrinkly to tell, not of Lacey's lack of skills. There are additional chapters from inventors and other notable figures in history that steers you for a while from the Kings and Queens and these were also a pleasure to read, too.

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐. I read this book on the flight to London. While I learned some interesting facts about English history, the book's scope varied greatly, and the writing was uneven. I did not particularly enjoy it, and the second half felt like a slog to get through. I was unsure if the book was intended as a fantastical retelling of classic tales, an analysis of real history, or a theological/philosophical investigation of historical English figures. I would not recommend this book.

[Daniel Potts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! Very fun. English History by anecdote. Despite the obvious inadequacy of understanding the past purely as a sequence of cameos most of us nonetheless do so. Filling in these cameos with detail and background helps to embed a sense of the story and continuity of English history. Very well written

[Christine Jeffords · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informally written, quick-to-read, and very interesting look at English history from Medieval times to the publications of Newton. It even makes the Wars of the Roses and the Cavalier/Roundhead excitement comprehensible! An excellent place to start in on the subject. Mr. Lacey ought to write some sequels and bring his nation up through at least World War I.

[Doug Adamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and engaging. Not the book if you are looking for lengthy discussions but great for an introduction that makes you desire more. The list for further reading pointed me to several prospective reads.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so much full fledged stories, more short vignettes, but hung together in such a way as to produce a very readable political history of England over 200 years or so. Eminently enjoyable. Looking forward to reading the other volumes.

[Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

As are the others in this series, I’m assuming, the short pieces in this collections give an extremely brief (1-3 pages) description of the people/events covered. For any kind of detail you will have to to other sources. Perhaps the information given will pique your curiosity.

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I found the chapters on King Henry VIII especially interesting. There were a few times when I felt a bit lost with all of the (new-to-me) terms and names but overall I would recommend this book as an introduction to English history!

[Karen Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoy Robert Lacey's short, sharp takes on moments and people in English history. The chapters are erudite vignettes that posit explanations as much as they relay facts and always expose the dubious. A great companion to longer treatises on different elements of British history.

[Ali Mahdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a great book if you want to learn about English history and the crown in this era. It’s written eloquently so a simpleton like me can read it easily. Plus the chapters are about five pages, making it ideal to read before bed. Check it out at your library!

[Vick · Rating 5 out of 5]

good as usual!! I learned some more ubscure historical figures than I thought existed.

[Nathan Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is totally great.