I have a bias against reading history books because they are usually overly detailed and long. I had to marvel at Hawes' ability to communicate a significant amount of information in a succinct way while still relying on artifacts and primary sources, and enough visuals and textual variances to keep the mind from wandering.

I love a good history book and this was one. It was concise and informative, This is great for people who want to learn about something but can not read a 1000 page book. Genius Idea.

Very much enjoyed the format of this title and the compact way it shared history over multiple centuries. It was readable and not overwhelming, but I also felt like I learned quite a bit.

Definitely curious about the other title by this author now, which always feels like a sign of a good book to me!

This wasn't unpleasant, but it was a little dry, and I kept forgetting to finish it. I would recommend it to people who want a quick history of England, but it wasn't a thrill.

Hawes really packed a lot of material into a neat little package. I found the pacing to be excellent, never lingering too long or drawing out a topic. It kept the extensive history of England flowing quickly and easily. It was very interesting and I think our Anglophile patrons will devour it.

Great overview for Anglophiles. I liked that Hawes framed events within one focus- south versus north, south versus everywhere else. This idea was new to me and the perspective helped me to understand history and current events a bit better.

I thought the pacing in this book was great, as it gives a fast-moving account of the history of England and doesn't linger too long in any one time period. However, the intended audience is clearly not novices. A lot of it would only resonate if you already have a working knowledge of a lot of the politics and wars in British history.
Also, I think I was expecting more of a social history, but instead it was centered on politics, foreign affairs, and economics.

The title, "The Shortest History of England," perfectly describes what this book delivers. It is a short, crisp history of an incredibly complicated country. Hawes' writing is crisp but delivers a good deal of information. Some of the history told will ring familiar if you're a fan of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," believe it or not. There were elements that seemed short-changed, like World War I and II, as well as current history which have had significant global impact (nary a mention of Teresa May, as an example). Still, this was an informative, enjoyable. read. Thanks to NetGalley and the Experiment for the opportunity to read this advance copy. #NetGalley #TheShortestHistoryofEngland

There’s a lot of ground to cover and James Hawes does it reasonably well. I liked the graphics and the maps; certainly the maps were very useful. I thought that the text was somewhat opinionated, especially as I reached the current time period. I would have preferred more objectivity. While the writing style is conversational, I did not find it as pleasing as the writing in “The Shortest History of China”. Overall, though, it was a worthwhile read. Thank you to Netgalley and The Experiment for the advance reader copy.