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A History of Britain: Volume 1

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A History of Britain: Volume 1

Written by: Simon Schama
Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
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About this listen

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.

©2012 Simon Schama (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Europe Great Britain Ireland
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Schama is eloquent and insightful, and Thorne's reading is fantastic, but for a supposedly comprehensive narrative history, Schama oddly chooses to leave massive chronological gaps, dictated seemingly by nothing other than his personal interest in various periods and figures. For example, the Hundred Years' War is completely glossed over, to the point that Poitiers and Castillon are litetally not even once mentioned. On the other hand, countless pages are given over to ultimately meaningless aristocratic flirtation and rivalry. Some odd choices.

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