An Illustrated History of England

An Illustrated History of England

by John Burke

Hardback A4 size 1st Oct 1985 

Review:

It goes at a great pace, it's hugely exciting, full of excellent illustrations, and the writing feels wonderfully authoritative.  I especially like the accomplished way Burke sometimes uses historical language to describe people and events which adds atmosphere, polish, highlights detail, or intensifies the crispness and incisiveness of the text.

The illustrations a good mix of black and white and colour, ranging from Stonehenge and the pots of the Beaker Folk to oil rigs, the Thames Barrier and Torvill and Dean. Every page has at least one illustration, usually two or three, in addition to several full page pictures of subjects, including portraits of Cardinal Wolsey, Elizabeth I, Nell Gwyn and others, buildings such as Hampton Court and Crystal Palace, and 20th century paintings by Charles Cundall, Henry Moore and G. H. David.

While this book does not cover the last 30 years, I couldn't recommend it more highly for anyone wanting an exciting and informative introduction to English (and to some extent, British) history.