The Story of Britain - Softcover

Patrick Dillon is the author of two highly acclaimed adult history books. On writing The Story of Britain, he says, "I first fell in love with history through stories, and, thirty years later, found that they were stories my children loved too. The Story of Britain tries to show that what happened in the past happened to real people, to put across all the different things it means to be British, and to explain how the stories I loved made us who we are today." Patrick Dillon studied architecture at University College London, specializing in architectural history. He recently completed the restoration of the Snape Maltings concert hall in Suffolk and is currently working on a project at the National Theatre. Patrick lives in London, SW11, with his wife and children. Visit him online at www.patrick-dillon.co.uk. P.J. Lynch grew up in Belfast and has won many awards, including the Mother Goose Award, the Christopher Medal, and the Kate Greenaway Medal twice. On illustrating The Story of Britain, P.J. Lynch says, "For a history buff like me, working on this book has been a particular pleasure - and a great learning experience. I had read a lot about individual characters and various periods, but Patrick Dillon's wonderful history shows how they all fit together." P.J. Lynch lives in Dublin with his wife and three children. Visit his website at www.pjlynchgallery.com.

What a delight: a book combining the very best of old-fashioned values with the highest qualities of modern writing, illustration, design and production. The text brings things up to the final years of the last century whilst the artwork is a timeless joy. The artistic lynch-pin of high quality information books for young readers is simplification without compromisng accuracy and in both the words and the pictures The Story of Britain is a prime example. -- Chris Brown - Reviews Editor * The School Librarian * A sumptuous, comprehensive history of the British Isles and its people...Beautifully done. * The Bookseller * A beautifully produced yet serious and authoritive, history of the British Isles... * The Bookseller * [The story of Britain] would be a good book for schools to have because it's interesting and older children can learn a lot from it - I know I did. * Bath Chronicle * Readers of this book...should expect action rather than academic debate and snappy one-liners rather than rambling paragraphs. * The Telegraph * A straightforward and vivid account, well produced, and with pleasantly traditional illustrations by PJ Lynch, and deserves a place in any child's bookcase. * The Spectator * This highly readable, chronological narrative is easy to dip in and out of or to power through in big gulps. Patrick Dillon highlights the important moments of "our island story" from the Battle of Hastings to the present day, with a penultimate chapter on immigration, identified as the beginning of a new era. -- Julia Eccleshare * The Guardian * Hundreds of tales from the past in concise, entertaining chapters on subjects including the Crusades, the Gunpowder Plot and the Great Fire of London, as well as both world wars... this book brings the past to life through the stories of the people who lived through the events. It goes out of its way to trace the different paths into the United Kingdom taken by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you are concerned about the decline of history teaching, a volume like this can give a child the basics in a highly entertaining format. * The Herald * All children love history if it is introduced to them in an interesting way and the tone of this book is chatty and light enough to not intimidate. Events and people are introduced in short, easily accessible chunks...the differences between Irish, English, Scottish and Welsh histories are acknowledged and there are lots of timelines to help with school projects. A really useful book to dip into. * Daily Mail * An amusing, informative, fact-packed and fun-filled book that sets out the history of our country in a simple to follow and engaging fashion...Patrick Dillon has delivered the Holy Grail. * www.schoolhousemagazine.co.uk * A very readable introduction to an enormous subject * Booklist * This is an excellent and approachable resource for students beginning research on major topics in British history. * Library Media Connection * Reviewed * San Francisco Chronicle * Featured/recommended * You Know, For Kids Blog * A wonderfully written exploration of the history of Britain in a narrative style which will grip children's attention with its high quality writing. It gives an excellent chronological overview . . . an ideal book to use alongside school studies of history and children will thoroughly enjoy the high-quality story telling * Parents in Touch *