It must be difficult as an history writer to think of a format where you can write about events, cultural shifts and lifestyles through time that affected your homeland and which presents these facts in such a way that makes it appealing to the reader, offering something that other history books do not.
However, John Julius Norwich has achieved a remarkably easy-to-read book which also serves as a basic guide book; you could pack this into your luggage on a tour of England (although even in paperback, it is a little bulky) and refer to it for rudimentary background history on the place you are visiting.
A History of England in 100 Places - where should it begin?
Norwich painstakingly whittled down his choices, explaining in his introduction that he was forced to narrow his list down to just England, having originally planned to cover the British Isles. He also, wisely, I think, decided to write about them in chronological order, leading us through the progression of life in England through invasion, migration, disease and progress to name but a few influences.
Perhaps predictably then, his history begins at one of the most well-known monuments that England is renowned for globally as well as nationally: Stonehenge.
Well-known versus unknown - which sites are the best?
Do not be put off by what could be seen as a cliched start; in charting this history, Norwich has chosen some typically well-visited sites as well as some that are less culturally in our consciousness. For instance, in his section on Anglo-Saxon England, whilst including the legendary finds at Sutton Hoo, Norwich has also chosen a small church called St Peter-on-the-Wall in Essex (intriguing if only for its title) which takes 20 minutes to walk to as well as having been altered by a farmer who used it as a barn. It is this breadth which makes this book appealing as it offers hidden treasures, sites less visited but still as culturally and historically important to the shaping of England today.
Accessible history to the uninitiated - A History of England in 100 Places offers this
Norwich has written a book which offers something to the regular history book reader by pointing out places not on the popular list but what I think is this book's strength is it is extremely accessible: the perfect book for someone wanting to read history books but not knowing what to buy.
Norwich uses colloquial language to relate his facts on each place as well as giving a short potted history, each site covered in 4 or 5 pages at most and this is refreshing as history texts sometimes disguise their information with complicated script in an attempt to appear more educational and academic. This book is simply presented and explained and this is to Norwich's credit. As a reader who has read numerous history texts, I know that this is a book that I will use for reference again and again especially if only a small summary is needed to aid clarification or memory.
Other useful information in A History of England in 100 Places
Norwich has usefully incorporated pictures of relevant persons as well as some of the places in the book with their own descriptions. There is also a map of England showing you exactly where to find the locations, monuments, battlefields, etc. discussed. What I also found helpful was the listing of all the places in order of county so that it was easy to see the spread of the places around England. Add to this a list of Kings and Queens after the epilogue and this book becomes the perfect reference companion.
Source
A History of England in 100 Places, John Julius Norwich, John Murray, 2011.
Rachel Deeming - Rachel is a mother of two boys, one 18 months old and the other a busy boy of four. She used to work until recently as an English teacher ...
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