History of England: The Illustrated Edition

by George Macaulay Trevelyan, Asa Briggs (Introduction)

Originally published in 1926 and revised in succeeding decades, Trevelyan's classic work analyzes the social development of England in relation to economic conditions, political institutions, and overseas activities

Genres: History, Nonfiction

913 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1926

About the author

George Macaulay Trevelyan, OM, CBE, FRS, FBA, was an English historian. Trevelyan was the third son of Sir George Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet, and great-nephew of Thomas Babington Macaulay, whose staunch liberal Whig principles he espoused in accessible works of literate narrative avoiding a consciously dispassionate analysis, that became old-fashioned during his long and productive career. Contemporary E. H. Carr considered Trevelyan to be one of the last historians of the Whig tradition.

Many of his writings promoted the Whig Party, an important aspect of British politics from the 1600s to the mid-1800s, and of its successor, the Liberal Party. Whigs and Liberals believed the common people had a more positive effect on history than did royalty and that democratic government would bring about steady social progress.

Trevelyan's history is engaged and partisan. Of his Garibaldi trilogy, "reeking with bias", he remarked in his essay "Bias in History", "Without bias, I should never have written them at all. For I was moved to write them by a poetical sympathy with the passions of the Italian patriots of the period, which I retrospectively shared."

Reviews

[Robert Hult · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most comprehensive book I have ever read on a country. Nicely illustrated and completely readable.

[Robert Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only a classic of history, but also of historiography, G.M. Trevelyan's History of England was first idolised and then later criticised for its portrayal of England (and Great Britain) during the period of the British Empire.

Trevelyan portrays Britain as a country blessed by progress. He sees England leading the world in terms of democracy, religious toleration, industry and trade, as well as in many other ways. When the book was published people loved it and basked in its warm glow.

Later, when Herbert Butterfield published "The Whig Interpretation of History" many people felt that Trevelyan's work was too comfortable, too optimistic, looking at the world through red white and blue spectacles. In fact, it could be suggested that many of the post-modernist trends which later developed in history mark a clear reaction against Trevelyan's way of thinking.

I enjoy it immensely and can read it over and over.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long but very readable concise (800+ pages) hisory of England. The emphasis is on the social and political history with kings and battles relegated to asides. Highly critical of centuries of mismanagement of Ireland but more forgiving of colonial rule elsewhere, but then it was written in the 1920s.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big history of England, g- good for looking up items/periods where one is a little weak. Fair.

[Jason Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough and very readable history of England. It took me a while to get through this, but if I reacall it probably had to do with the work I was doing at the time.

[John Maclean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disappointment. Trevelan's "History of England" is called a classic but is really an outdated survey, modestly written and modestly informative. Not bad, but look elsewhere for better.