The Isles

A History

By: Norman Davies

Narrated by: Andrew Sachs

Here is the best-selling and controversial history of the British Isles, including Ireland, from the author of Europe: A History. Emphasizing long-standing European connections and positing a possible break-up of the United Kingdom, this agenda-setting work is destined to become a classic.© Norman Davies; (P) Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Critic reviews

"A historiographical milestone." ( Sunday Times)
"If ever a history book were a tract for the times, it is The Isles: A History...a masterwork." ( The Times)
"A book which really will change the way we think about our past...marvellously rich and stimulating." ( Evening Standard)

Concise Info

Great info that is clear and concise. Good choice for those who know little about the UK & Ireland or desire a refresher text.

A history of British Royalty

A good abridged book and my intro to Britain. My assumption was this was an overall history of the nations of Great Britain but it was more so a history of the leadership of these nations. I know little more about actual development and changes of British societies outside those that occurred in the Royal families over the centuries.

Good if you know what you're getting

"The Isles" may annoy some readers because as a history of the British Isles it can feel incomplete, and it can be perceived as sneery toward the British. Unfortunately this abridged audiobook misses out Davies's introduction, in which he explains his aims. The point of the book is to be a history of the ideas of Britishness, Englishness, Irishness, Scottishness, etc. It explores where these ideas originated, and how they have developed and changed over time. For this reason, it deliberately avoids the traditional way of writing about British history (which often describes the political union of the islands as natural and inevitable), and also avoids the sentimental Celtic reading of history (in which the division between the English and the Celtic nations is seen as timeless and unchanging).

The result is a history of the Isles that deliberately complicates supposedly simple concepts like 'British'. The best example is the way Davies insists on referring to the kings of the Isles by the names they called themselves - so you get Edouard I, Henri II, and Robert le Bruce as a constant reminder that these English and Scottish heroes spoke French. There's also an opening section on prehistory in which he refuses to call the islands 'British' until the word British has been invented, making up names (like 'The Great Isle' and 'The Green Isle' for Great Britain and Ireland).

All of this works well in an audiobook, and the always reliable Andrew Sachs is a perfect narrator. The story does seem rushed at times (especially in the 19th and 20th centuries), but there were no glaring gaps in the abridgement, except for the introduction. The history is mainly concerned with kings, prime ministers, power politics and the politics of nationhood - there isn't much social history.

This is a very good, absorbing listen, and will make you rethink your understanding of history at times. You do however need to understand the book's aims, or you might be disappointed.

Abridged

I got this as a companion to the physical book. started listening became aware matter was missing. Glad I was able to return it. I will definitely check closer next time.

Davies is good, some of his choices here aren't

I've been a Davies' fan for years and I generally appreciate his somewhat idiosyncratic approach to history. But his angles are sometimes too obvious and occasionally pointlessly peevish.

Such is the case with referring to medieval British monarchs with their French names. Yes, Norman, we get it - Henry II spoke French and was certainly called Henri in his lifetime. But they are monarchs of an English-speaking nation that has primarily spoken English for over 600 years and your English-reading and (in this case) listening audience aren't benefited by having to play along with the petty pedantry of figuring out that Jean sans Terre is John Lackland and so forth.

Detracts significantly from the aural experience of an otherwise engaging work.