A Brief History of Britain 1660 - 1851 cover art

A Brief History of Britain 1660 - 1851

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A Brief History of Britain 1660 - 1851

By: William Gibson
Narrated by: Roger Davis
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About this listen

How Great Britain was born - from the restoration to the Great Exhibition.

In 1660 England emerged from the devastations of the Civil Wars and restored the king, Charles II, to the throne. Over the next 190 years Britain would establish itself as the leading nation in the world - the centre of burgeoning Empire, at the forefront of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. However, radical change also brought with it anxiety and violence. America is lost in the War of Independence and calls for revolution at home are never far from the surface of everyday life. In this scintillating overview of the era in which Britain changed the world, and how that nation was transformed as a result, William Gibson also looks at the impact this transformation had upon the ordinary men and women.

This is the third book in the four-volume Brief History of Britain which brings together some of the leading historians to tell our nation’s story from the Norman Conquest of 1066 to the present day. Combining the latest research with accessible and entertaining storytelling, it is the ideal introduction for students and general readers.

©2013 William Gibson (P)2013 Audible Ltd Europe Great Britain England War Winston Churchill United Kingdom

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All stars
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A very good and balanced account of this period with a good sense of context.

The balanced view of the history of this period

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Excellent narrator. Well worth a listen and well written. Will be on the look out for further William Gibson publications

Good concise content

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I did enjoy the subject and learnt many details. The reader was slightly monotone but my interest was maintained by the content.

History at your fingertips

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I know that history of great mean is generally frowned upon these days but it would’ve been nice to have a bit more detail around the Napoleonic wars. I preferred the structure of the last book which went chronologically through the reigns of each monarch. Still good though and well performed as always

Interesting but not much detail on events

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Historic dates are fair enough but every time a name is mentioned, no matter how fleeting or how obscure their Birth and death date gets read out. Really got in the way of the narrative.
Not as good as the previous volume because of it.

Too many dates

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Disappointing. Completely lacking in deeper reflection. Just a long litany of unconnected facts. Sad! I had to return it.

One damn thing after another

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What did you like best about A Brief History of Britain 1660 - 1851? What did you like least?

Too much irrelevant detail (minor characters, birth and death dates where not pertinent to the story, chatty asides, etc) and too little synthesis or insight. Weak on the important cultural and literary events of the period, and, more importantly, one also misses analysis of major policies, foreign policy and the like. It is as though the author has trouble distinguishing what would be useful in a short introduction from what would not.

Too much irrelevant detail

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I loved this book. It had so much interesting information about ordinary people of the past. While some very small parts are slightly out of date as happens to history books when things get updated and discovered, it was still one of the best books I've listened to.

Brilliant book!

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It listens wonderfully, picks interesting sources and is thought provoking.
What lifts this above many other good history books is the vast amount of information, all of which is interesting.

Really, really good - this book is special

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This audiobook is full of great information about the the period. It is organised, however, more as a series of lectures on a variety of topics and freely jumps back and forth along the timeline, than a story tying together key threads, which I would have personally preferred.

Interesting set of lectures

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