THE STORY OF BRITAIN

As Americans, we’re fascinated with the mystery of our seemingly magical development as a nation; so too the British have tried again and again to explain their longer and more complex journey into the 21st century. What thread runs through this sweeping tapestry? For Strong, it is the gradual emergence of class distinctions over the centuries, leading to their eventual breakdown in our own times. With his many voices, Stephen Thorne lends drama and personality to this pageant. Characters come alive; great narrative is developed; kingdoms, colonies, empires emerge only to disappear, but with a semblance of order and reason. What is missing from the print text are the illustrations that Strong's history is so famous for. Nonetheless, it is an excellent, if less than comprehensive, primer of British history. P.E.F. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 03]