Book recommendation

[mirrorshard]

The other evening, I was wandering through Border's and got mugged by John O'Farrell's An Utterly Impartial History of Britain - or, 2000 years of Upper Class Idiots In Charge.

It's a wonderful book - the history of Britain from 55 BCE to 1945 CE, without assuming that you knew any of it in the first place. O'Farrell's not a Historian, and he's wonderful in his treatment of the normal pop-history subjects like kings and generals and battles. There's been a big movement in historical studies to get away from things like that, but most of them - being Historians rather than satirists, polemicists, or straight-talking socialists - concentrate on writing about social trends and changes rather than pointing out in detail just what a bunch of incompetent idiots we all get taught to look up to.

On the other hand, he's also good at this history business - his bibliography's quite impressive. Not incredibly extensive, but it's there and it's got the right names on.

Comments

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

May I borrow this on my return to England? My UK history is very poor (due to, er, having been taught the Canajan history in school instead, which is fair enough).

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

Yes, of course - with the usual provisos about it still being in the house and not buried under piles of stuff. Remind me.

[alextiefling.livejournal.com]

I'd be delighted to teach you what I know about UK history - I have a decent-ish memory for it, and can talk about everything from royal dynasties to the legal system to sanitation and industry, in varying quantities. I won't be at all upset if you think this is too boring an offer to accept, though!

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

I've been looking at this for a while and wondering whether I should bother, so ta for this. Amusing well-researched history by non-Historians is something I rather enjoy.

Have you read Mark Steel's "Vive La Revolution", by the way? Utterly hilarious.

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

I have indeed - it's sitting next to one of O'Farrell's earlier books. Cheers for the reminder, I'll have to re-read it now.

[keira-online.livejournal.com]

Interesting...I was walking through Borders yesterday and that book almost mugged me on your behalf :P