Lacey Baldwin Smith, a Professor Emeritus of History at Northwestern University USA, makes some aims clear in the title: this book is a swift sweep through the length of English history – Welsh, Scottish and Irish affairs only feature when they impinge on the main narrative – which is both humorous and enjoyable. What isn’t mentioned is that this is primarily a book for American readers, as comparisons – for instance the size of England or language – refer back to the United States. The unfortunate effect is to make what could have been a universal history appear a little parochial.
While some readers might not consider the text’s 262 pages all that brief, Baldwin Smith has to keep a swift pace to cover the entirety of English history. His stated tactic to narrow down the material is to focus on the ‘memorable’ parts and skim past the rest. Strangely, the back cover describes this approach as heretical, despite it being what every concise history has to do! It’s a necessary strategy, dependant for success on the writer’s skill in selecting events, a test which the author passes. Indeed, his narrative flows coherently and smoothly from one point of focus to the next, avoiding the sudden jumps other works have to take. His writing is clear, his summaries effective and his comments sometimes withering.
The main bulk of the text is divided into four sections: three chronological ones covering England from the Celts to 1485, the main section which covers 1485 to 1964 and a final one which covers 1964 to the present day. There is also a thematic section where Baldwin Smith races you through the oddities and achievements of every monarch since William the Conqueror in 1066. The text is supported throughout by humorous illustrations collected from satirical magazines. In addition, there are discursive sections, such as the question of why England, having led the Industrial Revolution, fell behind its rivals.
Covering such a large period is always difficult, and this might be why there are mistakes and why some of the material doesn’t reflect the latest research (of course, the author could just have disagreed with it). For instance, the Anglo-Saxons are described as having ethnically cleansed their way through the Celts in a manner to the Serbs in Bosnia, while recent thinking promotes the theory that just an Anglo-Saxon ruling class occupied England before merging with the local Celtic population. On the other hand there are times when Baldwin Lacey is more accurate than many other texts, for instance where he explains that it was the Soviet Union which halted then defeated Hitler.
Of course, this isn’t just a concise history, it’s an ‘irreverent’ one. This isn’t a satire or a silly romp like 1066 and All That (to which this book is most often compared), more an informal but caustic lecture. Humour and biting opinion is present throughout, informing every paragraph, especially when the author summarises kings. There are also a few set piece jokes: “The urge to box the compass generated the splendid, but also apocryphal, story of a north Saxon kingdom called Nosex which naturally died out very rapidly, but doubtless inspired one of Britain's longest running plays: No Sex Please, We're British.” (Page 12) However, there is a difference between irreverence and sneering, a line which this reviewer felt was sometimes crossed.
While the history is solid, this isn’t a book for students or anyone being marked on their views. Instead, it is perfect for the older or simply more cynical reader who wants to enjoy a sharp and opinionated journey through England’s recorded history. It would also provide a superb tonic for anyone familiar but jaded with the subject matter. However, as with all humour, the success of this book ultimately depends on your sense of humour and whether it jells with that of Baldwin Smith.
