Product Description

Much loved by generations of children, this is a classic children's history of Britain from the Romans to the death of Queen Victoria. First published in 1905, H.E. Marshall's beautifully written narrative fell out of print after decades of popularity. But one hundred years after it was first published, Our Island Story, one of the most popular and inspirational books of its time, has become a modern day bestseller. Galore Park Publishing, in association with Civitas, reissued this classic children's history book over fifty years after it was last in print. The response from the public and the media was terrific and a staggering 20,000 copies were sold within the first week of publication. Such an incredible response to this book is unsurprising to H.E. Marshall fans the world over. Why not discover the delights of H.E. Marshall for yourself?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12429 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 494 pages

Review
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. --Lady Antonia Fraser

The reason that parents will go to such lengths to try to track down copies of Our Island Story is because of the sheer quality of the writing. Telling a story from history might be old-fashioned, but it stimulates a child's imagination like nothing else. --Andrew Roberts, The Sunday Times 2005

Our Island Story is a marvellous antidote to the fractured, incoherent history most primary school childen are taught today. It chimes with the Prince of Wales's campaign to restore narrative and chronology to history teaching and has been endorsed by Antonia Fraser, one of our leading historians, who says the book has earned her lifelong gratitude. --John Clare, Education Editor, The Daily Telegraph

John Clare, Education Editor, The Daily Telegraph, 16th June 2005
"'Our Island Story' is a marvellous antidote to the fractured, incoherent history most primary school children are taught today."

Bill Jamieson, The Scotsman, August 23, 2005
This is history that imparts a sense of a great tapestry into which we are woven.

Customer Reviews

History that teaches and delights
'In this book you will find the story of the people of Britain', writes the author. She continues: 'The story tells how they grew to be a great people, till the little green island set in the lonely sea was no longer large enough to contain them.'

This is big, bold sweeping history, at once charmingly simple and accessible for children and sufficiently courteous and informative for adults. HE Marshall guides us through from the earliest myths about Albion and Brutus through to the death of Queen Victoria, taking in wars and rebellions, tyrants and outlaws, treachery and love, the evolution of our liberal democracy and the deaths of those who fought for the freedoms that we enjoy today. With a deftness of tone that most writers can only dream of, Marshall's prose is equal to the challenge of expressing tenderness for the Princes in the Tower, and pride for Boadicea - 'the Romans', she points out, 'did not understand that many of the women of Britain were as brave and as wise as the men, and quite as difficult to conquer.' It is unashamedly proud without ever sounding arrogant. We learn how all sorts of great moments or phrases have passed into our folklore and idiom - such as 'England expects' - and all is rendered with an impressive sense of chronological cohesion.

Which is of course topical and explains why this glossy centenary edition has been republished. At a time of great anxiety about how poor is the teaching of history in our schools, how it has become fragmentary and partial, this book shows just how history could foster a shared sense of national identity. As politicians and academics witter on pompously, unclear about how to deliver the most important elements in history - the chronology, which makes it intelligible, and the stories, which make it memorable - Our Island Story offers itself as an answer. For young and old alike, passionate, energised history is engaging and invigorating. Indeed, I've lost count of the number of people who have recommended this book to me, particularly parents who read their childhood copies to their children as an excuse to revisit it themselves, and it's been the subject of numerous newspaper and radio panegyrics in recent months. Our Island Story is perhaps more literature than history - I suspect HE Marshall would have preferred it to be thought of in this way - and as such it would have also pleased Sir Philip Sidney: it both teaches and delights.

Our Island Story - a great read
I bought this book at Christmas for my nine year old and was pleased to find that my eleven year old was captivated by it too. We enjoy reading books out loud as a family and this book makes a great read for sharing. Don't expect it to 'tie-in' with the random topic based school history curriculum, this book is a consecutive account that unashamedly includes an element of myth and magic.I don't think that my children had realised that a clear understanding of the English/ British succession was within their intellectual grasp before hearing this engaging narrative.Furthermore all those Edwards,Henrys and the rest now have a relevance in their minds that was not there before. My children can now see a clear causal link between that subject called 'history' and that thing called 'politics'. Sometimes it takes an exciting story to awaken knowledge and bring it to life. The book covers a very broad sweep of British history and I would recommend it for families to share.

Reasserting our history
Civitas have done this nation a great service in reprinting this beautifully written history of Britain. At a time when even Gordon Brown is questioning the very meaning of 'Britishness', this enchanting book provides us with a tale of a nation we should all be proud of.
It is the perfect antidote to the lifeless, fragmented history that most children receive today. With its spledid narrative and enticing characters, 'Our Island Story' should be a big hit with children and parents alike.