Just Finished Reading: A Brief History of Britain 1066 – 1485 – The Birth of a Nation by Nicolas Vincent

I’m positive that my High School teachers would be proud of the interest (bordering on obsession) that I’ve managed to develop in history and in particular British history over the past 5 years or so. It seems like every other book I read has an historical bent to it – be they fiction or non-fiction. Books like this one are the reasons that my interest/obsession continues to grow. Like most inhabitants of this ‘sceptred isle’ I am generally familiar with the major facts, which King (or sometimes Queen) did what and when, battles being fought and history taking a new turn depending on the victory, and of course the dark side of our history, the murders, revolts, suspicious deaths and sometimes questionable lineage that makes up the story of our royal families. This book has it all – running the 400 or so years from the Battle of Hastings and the coming of the Normans in 1066 to Bosworth Field and the end of Plantagenet rule in 1485 in just under 500 pages it is, as you might imagine, quite a romp presenting those turbulent and often violent times with verve, an obvious love of the subject and a generous dose of (sometimes rather black) humour.

One of, the many, things I really liked about this book was the authors willingness to point to our basic lack of knowledge regarding the details about the earliest period being covered. Even the cataclysmic events of 1066 are shrouded in deep layers of mystery. Clearly we know who won the battle on Senlac Hill on that fateful day but we don’t know exactly how they won. As always the history of events are written and shaped by the victors who, as usual, portray the losers in a less than flattering light especially in a culture where victory in battle is seen as a ‘thumbs up’ from God. The lack of reliable sources is highlighted time and again which actually makes for a far more fascinating look at the period I’d assumed to be rather more known than it actually is.

The other thing I found particular fascinating was how (and how often) the English throne in particular changed hands. I had assumed, quite wrongly it seemed, that king followed king (and sometimes Queen) in a reasonably ordered fashion – apart from the occasional hic-up. Not so, it transpires. Although sometimes son followed father or agreed heir followed the death of kings more often than not the infighting which resulted from the death of a king was bloody, confused and decided by battle, treachery or poison than by bloodline or seniority. A disturbing number of royals died ‘falling from their horse’ or at the dinner table ‘suddenly’ and, as often as not, conveniently for one faction or another at court. Being in-line to the throne was a very dangerous place to be it would appear.

Lastly, although I was developing a fairly good idea of why Britain and France have had a very long, and again bloody, history together I now appreciate far more why exactly this is the case. Not only the Norman invasion but cross contacts both ways for hundreds of years afterwards left an indelible mark on both sides of the Channel that neither country could easily put to one side.

If you want to know about the early years of British history this is definitely the book for you. Very well written by someone who knows his ‘stuff’ and who is not afraid to point out the limitations of our knowledge and is likewise unafraid of pointing out the more questionable actions of some of our national icons, this is an eye opening, fascinating and sometimes laugh out loud funny introduction to the birth of a nation. Highly recommended to history fans and anglophiles.