Short Synopsis
Robert Tombs's momentous The English and Their History is both a startlingly fresh and a uniquely inclusive account of the people who have a claim to be the oldest nation in the world.

Full Synopsis
Robert Tombs's momentous The English and Their History is both a startlingly fresh and a uniquely inclusive account of the people who have a claim to be the oldest nation in the world. The English first came into existence as an idea, before they had a common ruler and before the country they lived in even had a name. They have lasted as a recognizable entity ever since, and their defining national institutions can be traced back to the earliest years of their history.

The English have come a long way from those first precarious days of invasion and conquest, with many spectacular changes of fortune. Their political, economic, and cultural contacts have left traces for good and ill across the world. This book describes their history and its meanings, from their beginnings in the monasteries of Northumbria and the wetlands of Wessex to the cosmopolitan energy of today's England. Tombs draws out important threads running through the story, including participatory government, language, law, religion, the land and the sea, and ever-changing relations with other peoples.

"A good history, narrated well by James Langton on the audiobook." ---Metapsychology Online Reviews

"This monumental work is narrated by James Langton, who keeps us engaged in the depth and variety of English history and moves the story along at a fast pace. Both the history and its narrator are highly recommended to scholars and the general public." ---Sound Commentary Starred Review

"European history buffs and readers undaunted by a 1,000-page history will find a lucid, engaging, and pleasantly nondidactic book, with helpful maps." ---Kirkus Starred Review

"Comprehensive, authoritative, and readable to a fault, this book should be on the shelves of everyone interested in its subject." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"Thoroughly researched, the narrative flows effortlessly." ---Library Journal Starred Review

"Langton narrates intuitively using natural phrasing, fluid tones, and precise British enunciation. His narration is perfect for this contemporary view of the island nation that has influenced almost everything and everyone throughout the world." ---AudioFile

Sound Commentary Review

Kirkus Review

Publishers Weekly Review

Library Journal Review