Simon Jenkins has created an enjoyable history book describing the story of the people of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It runs from pre-Roman times up to the present day. I would have read some of this history when in school but was hazy on parts. The book is a good primer / revision of this history of this part of the world.
Like any good history book, Simon Jenkins view is opinionated, and he has an ‘agenda’ or theme – but that’s ok. A key agenda item is that the term ‘Celt’ is a misnomer and somewhat based on Victorian. The key unifying characteristic would have been the origins of the language as part of a north west Europe / Atlantic trading route. He referenced a nice quotation attributed to Caligula that describes how empires may operate to maintain control over their constituents.
Caligula – “Oderint dum metuant / Let them hate so long as they fear.”
A key theme in the history is that political and religious struggle have run hand in hand in Europe and certainly in Britain and Ireland. The impact of the protestant reformation is well described. But there were details, such as the origin of Presbyterian church in Scotland, that were well explained and that I’d not learned about before.
The political connection between Scotland and France was described. It puts the plot of the movie ‘Braveheart’ into perspective. The 1560 Treaty of Edinburgh was also explained. I’ve enjoyed Cate Blanchett’s movies about Elizabeth I and this book explains how Lord Burghley (played by Richard Attenborough) provided wise council for Elizabeth during her reign.
The attempted eradication of the Welsh and Irish languages is explained in detail as well as those of some smaller Celtic nations (Manx, Cornish). The history of the plantation in Ireland is covered at length as well as the resulting collapse in catholic land ownership in Ireland.
The great Potato Famine and its aftermath were described a little briefly even though it was a pivotal time in Irish history. Land reform that occurred before Irish independence was explained including how absentee landlords’ holdings were rapidly re-distributed to tenant farmers.
This was a good book. I found it a good primer / reminder on the history of this part of the world. Like any good history book, the author has an opinion – but that’s OK. There’s a lot covered in the book that I would have found difficult to learn elsewhere. I found a recurring theme (a sad one) was leader’s naked hunger for power at the expense of their own people’s prosperity and safety. This was the case in pre-history and still applies to this day. I’m keeping it on the shelf as a reference and jumping off point into our history.
Other topics:
- The Battle of Kinsale and the Flight of the Earls
- The chaos of Oliver Cromwell (almost reads like the Taliban)