Great Tales from English History: Volume II Audiobook (Unabridged)

" I gave this three stars because I would not suggest that anyone pick it up for casual fun. For what it is, though, it's excellent. Extremely readable, and if you're curious about the subject, it's a wonderful way to get some information. I checked it out because I wanted to know the story of Oliver Cromwell, how he came to lead England, how he was associated with the army, what he believed. And this book summed up what I need to know to be culturally literate on the subject, in about three four-page essays. It covered a lot of ground, some of which I knew a decent amount about (I've read whole books about Joan of Arc and Mary Tudor), some of which I had heard of but knew only passing details (the princes in the tower, the true (non-Shakespearean) story of Richard III), and some of which I was barely aware of (the great fire of London, any Henry before VIII). I'm very glad I read it, and it was accessible, well-written and SO informative. "

" Not as good as volume 1, which I couldn't put down, but I am fascinated by English history and Lacey's condensed version is a great read. "

" It wasn't all that great, but if you are interested in English history, you may like it. It gives a VERY short descriptionof popular English tales, but not much actual historical background. Just tells the tales as they were told years ago. Not bad, but not great. "

" Another enjoyable glimpse at English history. I love how he gives examples of how these events still affect us today, be it in government or phrases or science. Check the series out. "

" This book was fun to clear up some events in English History. "

" Quick and colorful accounts of British history. Very entertaining, and well told. The books in this series are worth reading especially if you are traveling to England. Knowing a little bit of the history makes a lot of the sights more enjoyable. "

" A bit drier than I was expecting... "

" Didn't react to this as strongly as the first volume (had a few quibbles with the Tudor section), but still a really fun book and a great intro for history noobs. 4 1/2 stars! "

" Excellent book. It read more like fiction than non-fiction. Well written & informative. "

" Good overview of English history. Interesting stories and not dry like so many history books can be. Well written and researched. "

" Another all around excellent research tool that works equally well as history-for-personal-enjoyment. However, the one caveat I have is that a few of the entries fall on the state-the-obvious end of the scale, spoiling runs of some more interesting write-up's. "

" A pretty good walk through of the major events in middle English history. A little disjointed but nevertheless an interesting read. "

" I was prompted to read this after reading Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle series. I wanted more background on 17th century England. This book presents the significant historical events in easy to read and understand short stories. "

" Easy to read history with fun commentary by Lacey. I really enjoyed it and want to read Vols. 1 and 3 now. It was good enough that I would like to own the books. Short chapters with enough info to give you the general idea. "

" More a series of short stories than an actual history of the country - my favorite part was the simplified geneological tree in front. It made me want to learn more about the history! "

" Always that quirky take on famous tales! "

" In depth history its not, but I thought it was very entertaining. I listened to it as an audio book, and it was great for that. Short stories and easy to follow. "

" still reading wil tel u l8r "

" I liked this book. It was interesting and informative. I would call it an easy to read history book. "

" Long has it been since I enjoyed reading some English History of the 16th and 17th century. It was entertaining as well as informative and a splendid way to enhance knowledge in a tell tale way. "

" I'd read this before, fascinating stories from history. "

" The chapters were short, compressing England's history into short concise chapters. Lacey made the chapters entertaining and relatable. "

" Really easy to read, picking out important episodes in British history - a great introduction to the topic. "

" Good overview of English history. Interesting stories and not dry like so many history books can be. Well written and researched. "

" Another all around excellent research tool that works equally well as history-for-personal-enjoyment. However, the one caveat I have is that a few of the entries fall on the state-the-obvious end of the scale, spoiling runs of some more interesting write-up's. "

" More a series of short stories than an actual history of the country - my favorite part was the simplified geneological tree in front. It made me want to learn more about the history! "

" Another enjoyable glimpse at English history. I love how he gives examples of how these events still affect us today, be it in government or phrases or science. Check the series out. "

" I liked this book. It was interesting and informative. I would call it an easy to read history book. "

" In depth history its not, but I thought it was very entertaining. I listened to it as an audio book, and it was great for that. Short stories and easy to follow. "

" It wasn't all that great, but if you are interested in English history, you may like it. It gives a VERY short descriptionof popular English tales, but not much actual historical background. Just tells the tales as they were told years ago. Not bad, but not great. "

" This book was fun to clear up some events in English History. "

" Excellent book. It read more like fiction than non-fiction. Well written & informative. "

" Always that quirky take on famous tales! "

" I'd read this before, fascinating stories from history. "

" A bit drier than I was expecting... "