There is an interesting section in the introduction on library classification systems and the excellent sentence: `Oxford librarians are always on the guard against troublemakers', p.xxxv.

Norman Davies takes us on an exhaustive tour of the English Isles (primarily the one us Yanks call "England") in an attempt to answer a few questions: What is England? What is Brittain? What is the United Kingdom?
Davies begins with Cheddar Man and works his way right up to Margaret Thatcher. This history is laid out in chronolgical order, rather than grouping material by subject. I like this approach, as this allows the history to read like a story. That's what is really is anyway, right?
Davies brings a great sense of humor to what threatens to be a dry subject. At the end of each landmark era, Davies answers this three basic questions, as pertains to that point in time. As this history moves toward the present, the focus becomes more sharp, and Davies addresses this in his forward. Unfortunatley, I found the detail to be a bit much, and I gave up before the end of the 18th century, with quite a bit of book to go. Still, the first 1000 or so pages are well worth the effort.
This brings us to the final point. I began by calling this history "exhaustive." I do not think that was an exageration. This is simply an enourmous book, and will take quite a lot of time to read and digest.
In the end, I enjoyed Davies style enough to pick up "Europe," an equally monstrous popular history of even larger scope. I would strongly recommend this book for anglophiles, or to anyone with a passion for history, and a curiosity about the history of one of the world's great old nations. Fans of U.S. History ought to give this one a look as well. Remember, our founding fathers considered themselves Englishmen, first and formost. ( )

The earlier part of the book emphasizes the confusing and misunderstood nature of the identity of the Isles. Is it the British Isles, Britain, England, the United Kingdom? Davies shows where and when each term arises and how they should be used without anachronism. He focuses on the European dimension of the British monarchy, providing a necessary corrective to the Anglocentric histories of the classroom. However, the book is seriously marred by a large number of factual errors and poor editorial choices. How can a serious history of these islands be written without any reference to the General Strike of 1926 or any serious discussion of the origins of the First World War? What does it say about an author's priorities when there is nothing about appeasement in the 1930s, yet the lyrics of a song by Elton John are reprinted at length?

The last section, supposedly dealing with the history of the entire 20th century, looks hurriedly written, in need of thorough fact-checking, and immersed in the priorities of the late 1990s. It already looks dated - reading it feels like flicking through the opinion pages of an old newspaper. A very disappointing book. ( )

3465. The Isles: A History, by Norman Davies (read July 30, 2001) On Jan 7, 1998, I read Davies' great Europe: A History with much appreciation. This tome is a history of what is normally called the British Isles. It is a fascinating book, and especially the account of the period from 1066 to 1707 I found well done and absorbing. There are 90 pages of "Appendices" full of varied and interesting information, including the music and words of "Danny Boy"
which one has often heard but I had never read the actual text before. (I confess I copied out the whole 4 verses, just so I'd have them to hand to read anytime the mood seized me.) I approved of the author's view of some of the more controversial events in the history, and that always helps in enjoying a history book. This was a great book. ( )

Narrator does a great job with the material, but, overall, I felt it was rather dry; seemed as though the first 30% of the book - prehistory to Normans - would never end! Rather than a conventional "history" of the British Isles, the events highlighted are those with an impact upon the relationship of England to the other three parts of (the current) United Kingdom. ( )