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A History of Britain: Volume 1
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 15 hrs and 43 mins
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A History of Britain: Volume 1
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Summary
The story of Britain from the earliest settlements in 3000 BC to the death of Elizabeth I in 1603. To look back at the past is to understand the present. In this vivid account of over 4,000 years of British history, Simon Schama takes us on an epic journey which encompasses the very beginnings of the nation's identity, when the first settlers landed on Orkney.
From the successes and failures of the monarchy to the daily life of a Roman soldier stationed on Hadrian's Wall, Schama gives a vivid, fascinating account of the many different stories and struggles that lie behind the growth of our island nation. Simon Schama's major BBC2 series has shown him to be one of our most original and exciting historians.
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What listeners say about A History of Britain: Volume 1
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- MR
- 13-04-13
great listen
this is a well read book. i have enjoyed it allot and often go back to it. i was never particularly alert at school and history class mostly went in one ear and out the other. So i decided that i would like to get a better grasp of the events that preceded me and this was great way to start. it is easy going and has just the right level of depth never tacking you to far down a rabbit hole as to make you confused when you reemerge.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- G. Crozier
- 07-01-20
An excellent history of early British rulers
This is a very good history of the component parts of Great Britain, up to the union of England and Scotland. But it is very focused on the rulers and government, barely touching upon cultural life etc. It is also pretty selective, with Schama spending a lot of time on the most interesting people and stories such as Henry II and Thomas Becket and the saga of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn while skating over others such as Henry VII and the Wars of the Roses. But you can forgive him this selectivity because the stories are told so well. So well worth listening to, but you may want to supplement it with another history, to cover the bits that Schama chooses not to dwell on.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ben
- 06-03-22
A worthwhile if marathon listen
Masterly overview of British history (and a lot of archaeology).
Covering the period from 3,000BC to 1,603AD would be tough to do in any less time than this! It's pretty comprehensive stuff, which does have a (perfectly acceptable) tendency to dwell upon what are probably Schama's favourite bits, plus the lack of written evidence & material culture from certain times & parts make weaving a consistently dense narrative all the more difficult.
Still, this is only the first volume... The next 400 years are covered in two more.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- William John HAWKINS
- 18-01-21
History of Britain: Volume 1
An excellent account of the period, adding pieces that were not taught at school, so you have a fuller account of your history. Now purchasing Volume 2 and 3.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-05-20
excellent
loved it listened to it multiple times even before going to sleep every night brilliant!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 31-08-20
Stunning - I highly recommend it.
I found this book absolutely riveting and would recommend it to anyone who, like me, has a shaky knowledge of English history. Wonderfully structured and narrated.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gillian Rhodes
- 31-01-20
SO interesting
This was a long book to get through but got there i did..... many things about my countries history I didn’t know and was surprised by..
The reader was spot on too.
So a really good dip in dip out of book to listen to..
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- David Jeffries
- 15-03-18
One of my favourite Historians
Great book. One of the best history books I've read.
Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in British history.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss Nicola Davies
- 16-03-21
Obviously great but
...not really anyone's fault but I just can't stand the narrator's voice...something patronising and glib in the tone that i found unbearable and had to give up listening almost at once. So disappointing as I really wanted to hear this book
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jason
- 13-04-15
HIstory meade digestable
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes - to anyone interested in British History - particularly English History, this is a great way to get from neolithic to The Middle Ages in an easy flow.
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1 person found this helpful