Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, is one of the finest historians of our age. A former special assistant to President Kennedy, he received the National Humanities Medal in 1998. In this first volume of memoirs Schlesinger turns a keen eye on his own remarkable life--from his Midwestern upbringing, through his days at Harvard, to his involvement with World War II. The engrossing story of his life reads like a timeline of the twentieth century. With anecdotes featuring the major politicians, intellectuals, and entertainers of the era, it is easy to see why Dr. Henry Kissinger called this work "one of the definitive histories of the period." Schlesinger's shrewd observations and sharp wit have long helped Americans understand who they are and where they've come from. Now his own story comes to life with a lucid, often humorous narration by Nelson Runger.
A five part series telling The Story of Great Britain from its earliest beginnings to World War I. Our Island Story, originally published in 1905 and later updated, details the history of Britain up to World War I (including some myths and legends associated with British history). Author H. E. Marshall based the book on her answers to her children's questions about the history of their ""home island"" (Great Britain).
Volume 1
Early History of Great Britain
1. The Stories of Albion and Brutus
2. The Coming of the Romans
3. The Romans Come Again
4. How Caligula Conquered Britain, and how Caractacus Refused to be Conquered
5. The Story of a Warrior Queen
6. The Last of the Romans
7. The Story of St. Alban
8. Vortigern and King Constans
9. The Story of the Coming of Hengist and Horsa
10. Hengist's Treachery
11. The Story of How The Giant's Dancer was Brought to Britain
12. The Coming of Arthur
13. The Founding of the Round Table
14. The Story of Gregory and the Pretty Children
15. How King Alfred Learned to Read
16. Kind Alfred in the Cowherd's Cottage
17. More About Alfred the Great
18. Ethelred the Unready
19. How Edmund Ironside Fought for the Crown
20. Canute and the Waves
21. Edward the Confessor
Volume 2
Ruling Monarchs from 1066 to 1509 A.D.
22. Harold
23. The Battle of Stamford Bridge
24. The Battle of Hastings
25. William the Conqueror - The Story of Hereward the Wake
26. William the Conqueror - The Death of the King
27. The Story of William the Red
28. Henry I -The Story of the ""White Ship""
29. The Story of King Stephen
30. Henry Plantagenet- The Story of Gilbert and Rohesia
31. Henry Plantagenet - The Story of Thomas a Becket
32. Henry Plantagenet - The Story of the Conquest of Ireland
33. The Story of Richard Coeur De Lion
34. Richard Coeur De Lion - The Story of How Blondel Found the King
35. John Lackland - The Story of Prince Arthur
36. John Lackland - The Story of the Great Charter
37. Henry III of Winchester - The Story of Hubert de Burgh
38. Henry III of Winchester- The Story of Simon De Montfort
39. Henry III The Story of the Poisoned Dagger
40. Edward I - The Little War of Chalons
41. Edward I - The Lawgiver - The Story of the First Prince of Wales
42. Edward I - The Hammer of the Scots
43. Edward II of Caernarvon -The Story of King Robert the Bruce and Bohun
44. Edward II of Caernarvon - The Story of the Battle of Bannockburn
45. Edward III of Windsor - The Story of the Battle of Sluys
46. Edward III of Windsor - The Story of the Battle of Crecy
47. Edward III of Windsor - The Story of the Seige of Calais
48. Edward III of Windsor - The Story of the Battle of Poitiers
49. Richard II of Bordeaux - The Story of Wat Tyler's Rebellion
50. How King Richard II Lost His Crown
51. Henry IV of Bolingbroke - The Story of the Battle of Shrewsbury
52. Henry IV of Bolingbroke - The Story of How Prince Hal was sent to Prison
53. Henry V of Monmouth - The Story of the Battle of Agincourt
54. Henry IV of Windsor - The Story of the Maid of Orleans
55. Henry V of Windsor - The Red Rose and the White
56. Edward VI - The Story of Queen Margaret and the Robbers
57. Edward IV - The Story of the Kingmaker
58. Edward V - The Story of the King Who was Never Crowned
59. Richard III - The Story of the Two Little Princes in the Tower
60. Henry VII - The Story of a Make-Believe Prince
61. Henry VII - The Story of Another Make-Believe Prince
Volume 3 - The next 250 years from Henry VIII(1509 A.D.) to George II (d. 1759 A.D.)
62. Henry VIII - The Story of the Field of The Cloth of Gold
63. Henry VIII - How the King became the Defender of the Faith and How The Great Cardinal Died
64. Henry VIII - The Story of the King's Six Wives
65. Edward VI - The Story of the Boy King
66. The Story of Lady Jane Grey
67. Mary I - How the Princess Elizabeth became a Prisoner
68. Mary I - How a Candle was Lit in England which Has Never Been Put Out
69. Elizabeth - How the Imprisoned Princess Became Queen
70. Elizabeth - The Story of a Most Unhappy Queen
71. Elizabeth - The Story of How England was Saved from the Spaniards
72. Elizabeth - The Story of Sir Walter Raleigh
73. Elizabeth - The Story of the Queen's Favorite
74. James the VI of Scotland, Ist of England The Story of Guy Fawkes
75. James VI of Scotland, Ist of England - The Story of the Mayflower
76. Charles I How a Woman Struck a Blow for Freedom
77. Charles I - The Story of How the King and the Parliament Quarreled and at last Fought
78. Charles I - The Story of How the King was Brought to his Death
79. The Commonwealth - The Adventures of a Prince
80. The Commonwealth - The Lord Protector
81. Charles II - How the King Came to his Own, and How Death Walked in the Streets of London
82. Charles II - The Story of How London was Burned
83. James II of England, VII th of Scotland-The Fiery Cross
84. James II of England, VII th of Scotland-The Story of Monmouth
85. James II of England, VII th of Scotland - The Story of the Seven Bishops
86. James II of England, VII th of Scotland-William the Deliverer
87. William III and Mary II-The Story of Brave Londonderry
88. William III and Mary II - The Story of a Sad Day in a Highland Glen
89. Anne - How the Union Jack was Made
90. George I - The Story of the Earl of Mar's Hunting Party
91. George II - The Story of Bonnie Prince Charlie
92. George II - The Story of Flora MacDonald
93. George II - The Story of the Black Hole of Calcutta
94. George II - The Story of How Canada was Won
Volume 4
The loss of the American Colonies and the beginning of the industrial revolution
95. George III - The Story of How America was Lost
96. George III - The Story of the Spinning Wheel
Volume 5
The French Revolution (1789 A.D.) to the conclusion of World War I (1919 A.D.)
97. George III - England Expects that Every Man will do his Duty
98. George III - The Battle of Waterloo
99. George IV - The First Gentleman in Europe
100. William IV - The Story of Two Peaceful Victories
101. Victoria - The Girl Queen
102. Victoria - When Bread was Dear
103. Victoria - Peace
104. Victoria - War
105. Victoria - The Land of Snow
106. Victoria - The Siege of Delhi
107. Victoria - The Pipes at Lucknow
108. Victoria - Under the Southern Cross
109. Victoria - From Cannibal to Christian
110. Victoria - Boer and Britain
111. Edward VII - The Peacemaker
112. George V - Armed Peace
113. World War
114. The Hope of the Future
AUTHOR
Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall (1867 - 1941) was a British author, most famous for her works of history for children.
For decades, Marshall's books were ubiquitous in schools and home libraries. Much of the popularity of her works stems from her talent for making history read like good storytelling.
COMMENTARY
Quotes about Our Island Story
"I was given H.E. Marshall's Our Island Story at Christmas 1936 and I've still got that copy. It was a direct inspiration for me in my career as a historian." (Antonia Fraser)
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"The Great War" as it was known at the time was also said to be the "war to end all wars." It seized all of Europe and much of the rest of the world in its grip of death and destruction. The first truly modern war, it changed how war-and peace-would be conducted throughout the remainder of the twentieth century and even to the present. The Great War was a time of "firsts" and opened the door to the modern era. Almost all the major developed countries had a role to play in this war, as they never had before. This was the first time for fighting on land, at sea, and in the air. Modern weapons and munitions were developed in previously unimaginable quantities. By the end of the war, international politics, the relationships between the individual and the state, gender relations, and the role of artists and the media were all drastically changed. World War I laid the foundation for the modern world. This course examines the major events of the war to further understand how they led to the shaping of this new world.
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 hugely successful BBC 2 series has shown him to be one of our most original and exciting historians. Timothy West’s abridged reading of the book accompanying the series, introduced by Schama himself reading his own Preface, bears further testimony to his extraordinary gift for story-telling. 'Schama is a giant, a great thinking-machine and a golden lyricist as well' - Mail on Sunday.
Timothy West reads the second volume of Simon Schama’s compelling chronicle of the British Isles. The British wars began on the morning of 23 July 1637, heralding two hundred years of battles waged within and away from our isles. Most would be driven by religious or political conviction, as Republicans and Royalists, Catholics and Protestants, Tories and Whigs, and colonialists and natives vied for supremacy. Of those battles not fought on home territory, a great number took place across Europe, America, India and also at sea. Schama’s examination of this turbulent period reveals how the British people eventually united in imperial enterprise, forming what he calls ‘Britannia Incorporated’. The story of that change evokes the memory of such enduringly influential people as Oliver Cromwell, as well as lesser known but equally extraordinary individuals. A story of revolution and reaction, progress and catastrophe, this is a vivid account of two centuries which changed Britain.
Award-winning historian Simon Schama concludes his monumental three-volume history of Britain. Here he illuminates the period from 1776 to 2000 through a variety of historical themes, including Victorian advances in technology and industry, women’s increasing role in society, and the burgeoning British Empire which promised civilisation and material betterment for all. This volume also looks at key characters from the period, including Wordsworth, Burke, Queen Victoria, Churchill and Orwell, whilst examining some lesser-known lives, such as Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first woman doctor, and Mary Seacole, a Jamaican nurse in the Crimea. Finally Schama reflects on the overwhelming presence of the past in the 20th century, and the struggle of our leaders to find a way of making a different national future.
Based on a wealth of documents long buried in the Vatican archives, Prisoner of the Vatican tells the story of the Church's secret attempt to block the unification of Italy and seize control - not in ancient times, but in the late nineteenth century. For more than fifty years, the pope was a self-imposed prisoner within the Vatican walls, planning to flee Italy, to return only as the restored ruler of Rome and the Papal States. The scheme to dismantle the newborn Italian nation involved not only the cardinals and the Curia but also attempts to exploit the rivalries among France, Germany, Austria, Spain, and England.
Alistair Horne is a leading scholar of French history. Here he trains his sights on one of the most compelling figures of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte. Far from a mere dictator, Napoleon was a military, political and social visionary whose legacy can still be felt in France and all over the world. Horne examines the one-time emperor at his most human, from his greatest triumphs to his disastrous failures.
This entertaining volume provides a concise history of one of the world's premiere cities. Acclaimed author A.N. Wilson starts at the beginning, when London was founded by the Romans, and continues to contemporary times, hitting all the historical highlights along the way. London is the perfect starter book for anyone wishing to understand this great city a little better, and even seasoned London fans will find new information here.
An intimate, myth-shattering new biography of Mary Queen of Scots by a premier historian that draws on a trove of newly discovered sources.
Queen of Scots, the first full-scale biography of Mary in more than thirty years, offers a singularly novel, nuanced, and dramatic portrait of one of history\'s greatest women.
John Guy draws on sources -- many previously unstudied -- as varied as the secret communiques of English spies and Mary\'s own letters. Dispelled is the ingrained popular image of Mary as a romantic leading lady, achieving her ends through feminine wiles, driven by love to murder, undone by passion and bad judgment. We come to see her as an emotionally intricate woman and an adroit diplomat, maneuvering ingeniously among a dizzying array of factions who sought to control or dethrone her. Guy\'s investigation of Mary\'s storied downfall throws sharp new light on questions that have baffled historians for centuries, and offers convincing new evidence that she was framed for the murder for which she was beheaded.
Britain's most esteemed scholar of 16th and 17th century literature, Frank Kermode is also a noted author and professor. In this Modern Library Chronicle, he uses the context of the Elizabethan Era to link each of Shakespeare's plays to their probable years of creation. By portraying the bard's England in terms of its society, economy, and arts, Kermode provides an invaluable guide to understanding Shakespeare's works. "Academics and common readers alike have much to learn from Kermode's illuminating and delectable study."-Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate
Ireland's patron saint has long been shrouded in legend: he drove the snakes out of Ireland; he triumphed over Druids and their super-natural powers; he used a shamrock to explain the Christian mystery of the Trinity. But his true story is more fascinating than the myths.
Late in the 4th century, Irish pirates captured a young, British citizen named Patricius from his parents' Roman villa. The boy was sold into slavery and sent to tend sheep in Ireland. After walking nearly 200 miles across bogs and mountains to the coast, he managed to escape on a ship full of pagan sailors, and returned home to the astonishment of his family. Patrick was destined for the privileged life of nobility but, when he experienced a profound religious awakening, he decided to become a priest and return to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity.
The Patrick who emerges is even more extraordinary than the patron saint of legend a passionate, courageous, and very human figure who exerted an incalculable impact on the course of Irish history.
Freeman brilliantly reconstructs daily life in the British Isles during the last days of the Roman Empire, putting Patrick's achievements in context with
the beliefs of the day.
