Advantages: Excellent, clear maps; avoids pro-English bias
Disadvantages: Some rather odd colourschemes; doesn't cover anything in the last decade

...An area of history which I've always thought rather neglected is that of the general historical atlas. With a few honourable exceptions (eg The Times Atlas of World History), the norm is to rely on words to tell the story, with only the occasional illustration. While this is fine for the more specialist end of the market, where the general reader is being aimed for the provision of relevant and useful charts and maps can help enormously. Which is where the excellent Kingfisher Historical Atlas of Britain comes in. The book is divided into two chapters, the first being concerned primarily with Britain's political history while the second looks at social and economic issues. The first part is much the larger, which will might lead you to think that a fairly traditional approach to the actual history has been employed - and indeed... Read review

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Advantages: history that is accessible and entertaining, well presented
Disadvantages: none except for my poor make up thanks to the woad incident

..., so the book covers a 2 school years when used as part of a curriculum), but being budget minded, we used the free online edition over at the Baldwin Project, alternated with recordings of the chapters offered for free by the Librivox website. Nothing quite substitutes for a real paper book though, so the price down to reasonable levels, and nothing else pressing for funds, we bought this edition. So what it is, you ask? Well, it is a history book of sorts. I say of sorts, for it is more a collection of myths, fables, and history woven together. It pretty much is a group of stories to introduce children to British history. From King Neptune and Albion, to Brutus, to the Romans and beyond all the way to Queen Victoria, what we have here is an unashamed collection of tales told in chronological order that paints a history of Britain... Read review

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Advantages: Simon Schama is obviously passionate about history, and this shows in his delivery.
Disadvantages: None that I can see.

...I love this "History Of Britain" series, as it is told in a well-organised manner by someone who so obviously is totally fascinated by the past, and in particular the history of this Country. Simon Schama uses phrases and modern-day terms to describe important events through previous centuries, and tells it with such an enthusiasm that it is truly brought to life. The historic locations are wonderful, and the use of paintings and re-enactments help in our visual understanding of the various events being described. The facts are told to us in such a way that we not only discover "what" happened, and "when", but "WHY"! This gives us a greater understanding of the twists and turns in the politics and monarchies of previous centuries, and an insight into the characters involved along the way. Someone like Simon Schama would... Read review

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Advantages: -
Disadvantages: -

...In a time pre-dating the Romans, Britain and Ireland was inhabited by a race of people that are known to history as the Celts. Gradually displaced by the incursions of Romans, Saxons, Vikings and Normans, these people were either intergrated or marginalised by the later cultures and became only a shadow of their former self. We hear some much about Celtic heritage, but who were they and what remains of them today? On the Atlantic borders there is still whisper of them, Cornwall, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the English west coast all contain evidence for these people, and Alistair Moffat has set out to find out about these people in The Sea Kingdoms. One of the reasons that these people are so hard to trace is that subsequent invaders have either converted them or changed their virtues to vices and encouraged their downfall... Read review

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Advantages: Lively, practical, good gifts
Disadvantages: a bit thin, a bit samey

...pocket books on Castles and historic houses and gardens and an Ordinance Survey map of Roman Britain. The gifts are very good quality and are fairly useful. However this issue like the others has money off vouchers worth £20for top heritage attractions. For someone who visits a lot of attractions the £3.25 cost for the magazine would be easily reimbursed by the savings when using the vouchers. The magazine is quite slim and only has 98 pages. Perhaps a slightly thicker magazine would be even better value for money. Luckily out of these 98 pages only about ten of them are adverts which are bearable. The adverts are for exhibitions, cameras, other history magazines and other miscellaneous history related things. The first article I come to after the index page and editor’s letter is My Favourite place This seems at the moment... Read review

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Advantages: history gets a makeover
Disadvantages: none

...Making history exciting has always been a difficult task, it is by its very definition a relic of the past and as such has often been presented as such. To take a subject which until now has been presented as a series of dates and names, battles and marriages and make it exciting, is no mean feat. Marketing the subject to the in-crowd is easy, like any product they are already your captive audience and will always meet you half way, presenting you subject to the uninitiated and particularly the inquiring young mind, is the challenge. Peter and Dan Snow presenters of BBC's latest attempt rise to the occasion and their vehicle, Battlefield Britain, hits the target. Although the BBC have long been the premier producers of natural history programs, it has been Channel Four who have held the high ground when it comes to history programs... Read review

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