The Isles: A History by Norman Davies

The Isles: A History Reviews

• 
  Luke McCallin

  I love a history book--any book, really--that makes you look at the world differently when you're finished with it. I love a book even more that stays with you long after you have put it back on the shelf and, like a favourite friend, you can't resist popping back to, to look up something, anything, just to pick the book up again.
  
  I consider myself fairly well versed in the history--or, as Mr. Davies would say--the 'histories' of my islands, but that was before reading The Isles. It is a work of great sensitivity, at times iconoclastic, sometimes witty, often incisive, invariably trenchant. Considering the centrifugal forces currently at work in the United Kingdom, reading this book with its lessons culled from over two thousand years of history helps to put things in some perspective, starting with the concept of 'identity'. Considering as well the vast span of time it covers, it retains its pace, its rhythm, and its relevance to today's events. There is also a fine set of maps and other appendices, like timelines, chronologies, genealogies, photos, even sheet music!
  
  So much of this book is about identity: what it is, where it comes from, who makes it, what happens to it over time. In a way it is interesting this is such a treasured book to me, as it does merrily explode conceptions of what it means to be British, while exposing the debris of that identity to another--that of being European. To be 'European' is another identity--or layer of identity--that I respect and cherish. Having lived and worked in countries that could not resist their own centrifugal forces and that span themselves to their own--often messy--destruction, my instinct is to resist any moves to deconstruct my own country. Having lived and worked on Europe's borders, I see it first from the outside in, and thus I see it as something of a haven, something to be aspired to. Again, not something these days that many of my co-citizens of this European project would easily relate to.
  
  The Isles is something of a balm to that feeling of being adrift, or at least it helps to put it in perspective. Far from being set in stone, the islands that make up the United Kingdom have always been a site and source of innovation and inspiration to those who live there, and I hope they always will be.
  
  
• 
  Andrew

  This is not so much a history of the British Isles, strictly speaking, as it is an extensive historical reflection on national identity. It examines changing concepts of "England," "Britain," "Great Britain," "the British Empire," "the British Commonwealth," and "the United Kingdom."
  
  Davies has two primary concerns. First, he challenges any and all assumptions that such titles for the island nation at any given point in its history are interchangeable or appropriately used at any given stage of its history. The particular focus of his challenge opposes assumptions of England's/London's superiority. His second concern regards what it means to be "British."
  
  He works hard to devote as much attention to Scotland, Ireland, and Wales as most past histories (according to Davies) generally emphasize England. He follows the story of national identity from pre-historic through contemporary times (published March 2000). An updated version would already be welcome in light of 9/11, 7/7, the second Iraq war, the 2008 financial collapse, and continuing developments regarding the European Union.
  
  As any good modern historian, Davies strives for objectivity but as he moves into the twentieth century, his political opinions begin coming through on issues like the place of the British monarchy, different twists on WWI and WWII, and - most clearly - GB's dependence on the USA.
  
  Specific and complete historical narratives are lacking, as the point is not a strict historical account but historiographical thought on national identity. Even so, it's good to have such an expansive story with such a broad view.
• 
  stl̓laqsšn̓

  I’ve done it. I’ve slayed the beast.
  
  The book is real great for the first half about. But Davies’ refusal to say anything even remotely critical about British Empire, about its effects on culture, the creation of whitness, etc. is unforgivable really. Had I know that he was gonna spend the last half of the book doing a deep dive into everything BUT colonialism. I would’ve never read it. The last 100 pages or so don’t sugarcoat that the UK is a US client state so at least he’s kind of honest. He also wrote the final chapter as if joining the EU was a done deal. Which, lol.
• 
  Steve

  Everything you know about British history is wrong, unless your name is Norman Davies. The heck with "There will always be an England", according to Davies there never was an England. The very idea of "England" is a whiggish plot. And don't even get started on the idea of "Britain". But you should probably visit Wales if you have the properly reverent attitude.
  
  A clearly written and enjoyable "one man's view" type of history.
• 
  Peter

  
  A history of the British Isles and it's peoples, from a non anglo-centric perspective.
  
  Many British people, let alone foreigners, don't understand the difference between Great Britain, the United Kingdom and England, believing them to be interchangeable at best. No wonder then that this tome begins with an attempt to unravel this knot of confusion and set things , from the off, on a more secure footing.
  From there we are taken on a systematic history of 'the Isles' as an integral inseparable whole, with equal emphasis on the various 'native' Gaelic cultures as on the customary English narrative; this consists of an almost comprehensive discussion of the various strata left by each successive conquest as an incoming cultural influence.
  The tone of this book is really a search for identity; A subversive attempt to explode the myths of English or British identity and dispel the official versions of British history as politically motivated constructs invented after the events. The breaking of the myth is that these Islands have always been a meeting point for diverse, often conflicting cultures, be it through trade, Empiricism, proselytism and/or conquest; from native Pict and Celtic tribes through Roman, Scandinavian, Saxon, Friesian and Norman we are the product of diverse interaction rather than any single cultural dominance, and the rise of the English (but really British) to the status of C19th World super power, influenced, but neither hindered nor negated the importance of Welsh, Irish and Scottish history. Britain is, by nature, a multi cultural concept shaped as much by successive invading historical cultures as by it's own conquests.
  This is the best attempt that I know of at a comprehensive history of our islands that honors and acknowledges all that have lived and contributed here. As with all of Mr Davies' books it is spoiled somewhat by the over labouring of certain points and the sound of grinding axes in the background but that is a minor quibble. There is much a louder passion for prosaic subversive story telling and love of the subject that makes this a modern gem.
  
• 
  Monty Milne

  I’m sorry to say I found this a big disappointment. It starts off well enough – the early chapters on the prehistory of the British Isles are very good, brilliant almost...but it soon goes off, and gets so progressively bad that in the end I couldn’t finish it. The problem is that Professor Davies hates the English, and it really isn’t possible to write a decent history of the British Isles if at every point you relish a racist put down. I have read many of Davies’s books and, until now, loved them all. My disillusionment on finding that someone I have loved and admired actually hates me and all my tribe is therefore hugely upsetting. Until the English actually arrive the hatred is concealed, but the moment Hengist and Horsa swing on the scene we are treated to the poisonous invective of a seasoned Anglophobe.
  
  It didn’t have to be like this. Jean Sans Terre – as none of his subjects called King John – was no more a Frenchman than I am (the Normans, or Northmen, were not of course ethnically French at all), yet Professor Davies rubs his Frenchified moniker in our English faces at every opportunity. And of course, he hates the Church of England – as an expression of English nationalism, of course he would. Davies loves all supranational non-English institutions, whether they are the Church of Rome or the European Union, as the flip side to his hatred of everything Anglo Saxon. I haven’t been so disappointed since watching Edward I’s Irish levies switch sides to the Jockinese in one of the battle scenes in the film Braveheart. Ah Professor Davies, I would follow you anywhere in your historical exploration of all things Polish or eastern European, but in this book – alas! - the cloven hoof peeps from under your Welsh hose, and you show yourself to be just another chippy Celt.
• 
  Vanjr

  I got this book cheaply (10 US dollars at a Half Price bookstore-list price was 19.99 pounds which is about 30 US dollars) without any idea of how good it was. I had no significant knowledge of the history of Britian or the Isles but hoped to learn. As I have read this book I have learned a significant amount but unfortunately for me this is a history book to "correct" what one has wrongly already learned-ie that which I had not learned. I am sure I missed a lot of what he was saying. So it is not a particularly good introduction to the topic if you have a week "history of britian" background such as I.
  
  It was however very engaging and entertaining and had to be as long as it is. As a survey for that long it certainly leaves out a lot. It bills itself as a survey of the Isles, but it certainly seemed Ireland, the Welsh and Scotland could have been covered more. This is a secular history but religion is important and covered to some degree but I would have been interested in more about William Wilberforce and the abolition movement as well as Methodism and its roots.
  
  Recommend-for those with a background of history of England/Great Britain or who want a broad overview. One point he nicely makes is that historians have become so focused and have such narrow fields of study that no one can look at a broad picture. It is important to study the trees in the forest, but it is important to study the forest as well.
  While this book can be read in sections of time, the sections overlap and tie into each other.
  Not recommended for a quick read or the faint of heart.
• 
  Mary Brodd

  Went looking for this book as part of my Brexit obsession - I realized I knew nothing about the history of England and Ireland's relationship. Spoiler - as always, history of weirder and more fractal than we've been led to believe in school. One interesting point I hadn't considered regarding Brexit - that's the *second* time England has yanked itself out of the larger community of Europe. Henry VIII throwing over the Catholic Church was the first. Not having fully understood just how closely the Catholic Church connected the upper/educated classes, I hadn't realized what a wrenching break that would be. (Also, speaking as an American hard-cider fan, I now know never to go to an Irish pub and order Strongbow!)
  
  Other notes - I now know a bit more about the Commonwealth, and why the Irish don't have much time for Oliver Cromwell. The Civil War was actually a bunch of wars smashed together, including wars in Scotland over the status of bishops (!).
  
  If for nothing else, read this book for his discussion of "English" vs "British." It should resonate if you've been reading about current events.
• 
  Richard Thomas

  For someone educated at an English school, this book is a useful corrective to the history taught there. I left having been taught nothing about the history of the rest of the British Isles not indeed pointed at any areas where I might study further for interest' sake. He goes into the history of the Isles with a broad brush and the book was and is a pointer to further reading and understanding. As someone who is perhaps genuinely British by family background (English, Scottish, Welsh with a little Cornish but no Irish that I can trace), I've always been hacked off at the lazy conflation of English with British and anything that can shift that perception is valuable.
• 
  Penny

  Mr. Davies does a delightful job of bringing history to life in his clear, concise writing style and attention to detail. Rather than an endless drone of dates and figures, this book is full of rich illustrations, maps, charts, and even music notations which bring his subjects to life. He also scatters through vignettes of the "regular" people caught up in the history he discusses, clearly conveying the certainty that momentous events affected not only kings and princes but more poignantly the people they ruled.
  
  I own three of Mr. Davies books and plan to own several more.
• 
  Joel Dishman

  I think that Norman Davies may actually have captured heaven in a paperback. Time vanishes as the pages turn because our puny experience of hours is as nothing to the awesome gulf of history, so much of which has swirled about a former peninsula in the North Sea.
• 
  Travis

  A fantastic panoramic review of the history of The Isles (from prehistory through the 20th century), with plenty of commentary about the field of history, historiography, and the like.
  
  Highly recommended for those interested in history, the Isles, or any of the resident countries or peoples (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, UK, Great Britain, Celts, Picts, Bretons, etc.)
• 
  Sam

  This may appear to be an epic of a book (and based on its size it is) it doesn't feel that way when you're reading it. Davies begins by setting out what he aims to do, which is to give one man's view of the history of the British Isles in all its many forms. He points out that this is not an objective work and is unlikely to be considered suitable by 'academic standards' but in my opinion it is a superb start to learning the long complicated history of Britain. Davies incorporates the histories of the all the countries that have been a part of, are still a part of or have influenced the Isles in a coherent, readable and most importantly a chronological manner, showing the interactions between the different people, places and events.
  
  Davies also discusses the discrepancies and deficiencies in how British history has been and continues to be taught, including the ever present confusion/inter-changing between 'British' and 'English'. Although at times Davies seems to be English-bashing, his point is not that the English are always bad or wrong but that English history, culture and beliefs have over-ridden those of the other nations within the Union/Empire/Commonwealth. This may have been acceptable in the past, however, Davies points out that this should no longer be the case and that the historical and cultural wealth of the Isles would be far greater if all its constituent nations were treated equally and not as the defeated nations that they have been.
  
  Although the book does lack a lot of the detail that other histories include, Davies has still produced a comprehensive and thorough account of the long long history of the Isles and includes many references and notes that can be used for more detailed research on specific people, places, events and eras. Overall a great read that shows the many sides of the British Isles, both past and present.
• 
  John Newton

  This is a big commitment at 1000+ pages, but if you are interested in British history, it's worth the effort. At every step, Davies highlights what has been left out of the main story—often that means the Irish, Scottish, and Welsh, as the history of England is treated as synonymous with the history of Britain. Beyond that, though, the French or German origins of different monarchs has been downplayed, as have the cultural and commercial ties that link the British Isles to the rest of Europe. (If you leave Scotland's history out of your main narrative, it's also easy to ignore the long ties between France and Scotland.) Davies tries to correct the record.
  
  I don't have a degree in British history, but I have long gravitated towards books on English history. I think if you pick this up as your first broad survey of the history of Britain, it could be somewhat confusing, not understanding what Davies is responding to—the record he is trying to correct. That said, even if you don't have any specific English-history context, much of what Davies does is make readers rethink assumptions and ways of thinking about history generally. In the British context, he ponders why contemporary Britons identify with the Celts, but not the Romans or the Vikings, who are portrayed as marauding hordes not settlers who lived in Britain for centuries. How nationalism distorts our understanding of the past is relevant beyond England, even if how it expresses itself varies from place to place. (And for Davies it's not just English nationalism that's problematic, the Celtic revival of the 19th century is perhaps even more problematically unmoored from any historical reality).
  
  All in all, a commitment but one that pays off, and may make you rethink much of what you thought you knew about Britain, and also how we understand the past in not just the context of the Isles but beyond them too.
• 
  Lance

  I spent a couple of years in Scotland while I was in the U.S. Navy. While the Navy sucked, Scotland was great. Being over there for what was, in essence, a short time, I didn't quite get familiar with all the nuances of the culture. Some Scots would deride the "lowlanders," saying they weren't really Scots. I'd catch on the television programs that Scots were considered the "comic releif." For some reason, Cornwall and Wales considered themselves, for the most part, separate and apart from England. This book brings together all the tribal factions, empires, and other ethnic origins that make up what is now called Britain (even though the author detests that appellation.) The significance of
  Beowulf became clearer, and it's origins are now thought to be historical. After reading this I began to understand the disparity I saw when I was over there. This book does have an agenda though. It is stated at the beginning and at the end of the book. It was published at a time when Britain wasn't yet part of the European Union, and it emphasizes their closer relationship with Europe and encourages membership in the EU at the expense of relations with the U.S. Because of the agenda, I give it 4 stars.
• 
  Susu

  This history of The Isles paints a broad sweep of development from early man to modern times. The history is very much dominated by English history with Scotland and Ireland in supporting roles. Apart from the historical events the author returns to the topic of naming conventions and an overview of historical works - both aspects take on a life of their own and tempt the reader to skip pages. Generally the author expects the reader to already be well versed in facts and having at least an idea on historical works - but the main reason to pick up a book like this is to get the overall picture and not to read essay-like criticism of other historical works you'll never pick up. The book does deliver on its basic promise. But for a book that claims to cover all history in the British Isles - well, it doesn't do much except lining up rough facts and giving of the impression of still neglecting all but the central English core. It raises expectations that are perhaps impossible to fill. Fat book with a few new insights, falling short of its self-proclaimed goal.
• 
  Czarny Pies

  I am a big fan of Davies and regret that he wasted his time with this dubious project. This format is somewhat unusual. English language historians often write the history of other European countries by drawing parallels to British history. Instead Davies writes the history of the Isles through parallels to Poland. Strangely enough he makes this curious piece of legerdemain work.
  
  The problem is that Davies makes some loopy decisions as to what to include in his book. The growth of labour unions, the women's suffrage movement, and dissenter churches get almost no mention. There are better surveys of Britain and better books by Davies to read. This one is best left untouched.
• 
  Chris Davis

  I listened to this as a 40 hour audio book. I actually set it to double speed and did it in 20 hours. The guy is a slow talker. It was very interesting from prehistory to present but most people will not care for this. He did a good job of tying the myths and history together of that region and relating it to the rest of the world a little. I would recommend this book to any history geek who just like to hear vast amounts about history. If you are a normal sort of person and watch Desperate Housewives, you are going to be bored out of your mind.
• 
  Dan

  3.7 have just re-read this and find it slightly less impressive than i had before, i think because there is so much great history being written now and 'isles' looks a little conventional and leaden in comparison. still, davies is a stalwart guide to monarchs, uprisings and battles, with better coverage of wales, scotland and ireland than often happens, at least during some periods. but he gives precious little social, economic, cultural reference - never a mention of the changing position of women, for example. the only comparison to anywhere else is occasionally to france.
• 
  Moominboy

  Always been a fan of N.Davies and this book didn't disappoint. As usually he gives a great historical synthesis of many different aspects. History of Scots, the Welsh and the Irish is not put aside either. The narrative is captivating and the book doesn't feel dry at all. It is not strictly an academic book, it's more popular history but it is detailed enough for everybody to learn something from it. And to remember it afterwards.
• 
  John Bentley

  This is the most up to date and detailed history of the UK as one could get.
  It has no hidden agenda others than to inform of events precisely. It is a brilliant reference book for anyone interested in the origins of the people of the British isles and I have used it as such in writing my novel The Royal Secret from the days of the Druids to King Arthur, the Tudors, Shakespeare and the foundation of the America; the New Atlantis - the utopian dream of Francis Bacon. America's would be King.
• 
  Kristinn Valdimarsson

  Leiðastef höfundar er að UK sé sett saman úr nokkrum mismunandi hlutum (Írum (á meðan þeir voru með), Skotum, Walesverjum og Englendingum). Hann talar m.a. um að reynt hafi verið á síðustu 300 árum að bræða þá saman og það hafi gengið nokkuð vel á meðan UK var heimsveldi en nú þegar það er farið verði slíkt erfiðara. Bókin er fróðleg en vegna þess að hún er afar löng er erfitt að halda þræði frá upphafi til enda þar sem maður getur ekki gefið sér tíma til að lesa hana frekar hratt.
• 
  Anne Cupero

  I absolutely LOVED this book. Davies' writing style is terrific; he makes little turns of phrase come alive. I listened to the audio version of this and read the book version. It is not apologist, or too Anglophile, but there is a reverence. It is a beautifully told story of the triumphs and the hypocrisies. It made me start reading other books of English history because I just wanted this book to go on and on.
• 
  Leah W

  Norman Davies is an extremely accessible, clear writer of history. I plowed through this monster despite not being too much of an Anglophile. It's been a few years since I read it, but I recall it being a easy-to-digest, informative read. Having read enough dull/uninformative history books, I'm glad this exists.
• 
  Othy

  Rather disappointing. Davies' venture to write a history of group interaction turned very quickly into English-bashing. I think I've had enough of the English being made the bad-guys of history. Apparently even when they're being invaded by the Vikings they're still doing something horrible to a fringe group...