A History of Britain - Volume III: The Fate of Empire 1776-2000

Schama writes history alive, bleeding, weeping, laughing--- full of characters, literature, art--- flesh on the skeleton of battles and nations. The physical book itself is gorgeously produced with maps, paintings, sketches, and photographs.

Somewhere towards the end of the third volume a flood of images and music unrelated to the book came wafting into the back of my brain. All the class-conscious hypocrisy, bizarre rustic iconography, socialist angst, faded national optimism and ironic, guilt-driven humor of Monty Python, "Are You Being Served", "The Benny Hill Show", the Beatles, the Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, the Clash and the Jam had an enhanced meaning. As an American with a scant knowledge of the history of Britain, I appreciate the loose history lesson by Mr. Schama as presented in the complete set; you certainly have to get used to the style of writing, but it was fun. Most of all I agree with Scama's suggestion that the genius of the political and cultural legacy of Great Britain is in the end more important than the bigotry and ignorance of pre-World War II British Imperialism. Volume II was my favorite and I certainly would recommend reading all three volumes in chronological order.

A single-volume history of Britain from 1776-2000 -- tall order. Schama's history primarily addresses intellectual and political trends, inequality at home and abroad, whatever happens to be festering in his brain on any given day in front of the word processor, and, of course, the perpetually complex relationship the British seem to have with their soil. Literally. Schama tells us of a Tory agricultural wizard obsessed with "manuring" the countryside (if only the tenant farmers would cooperate). My parochial American upbringing probably explains why I had no idea that "manure" is also a verb. The land and its mythology returns again and again, as the Back to Nature movement romanticizes primitive Britain, the rustic origins of the noble Anglo. These intrepid blokes joined the common man in actually walking around the countryside, much to the chagrin of their more refined equals. Rousseau, always one french fry short of a Happy Meal, is welcomed as a celebrity until he turns on the puffy, rich sponsors who bought him his country cabin. And so it goes, in a similar vein, throughout. Schama walks us through the ripple effects of the French Revolution, the political sources of the Irish Famine, Queen Victoria's lasting impact on her society, and the noble British enlightenment of India (achieved, in part, by selling India-grown opium to the Chinese, who balked and thus compelled tough love from Her Majesty). I won't spoil it for you, but a final item the reader can look forward to: Schama treats us to nothing less than a "celebrity roast" of every single Prime Minister. Yes, that Simon fellow hates 'em all. And he likes George Orwell (a chap with true grit)... and... oh, just read it (that's "read" -- don't watch it on the telly).

If history bores you and you enjoy reading, I think Schama intends more to educate through entertainment than to simply educate. This is not the typical history book and is well-written. There are plenty of funny, interesting, and most often brief acounts given that help one understand and provide laughs at times. Schama is not a British historian and has lived in the US for maybe the last 25 years. But on account of being British, a Columbia professor, and--based on reading his three volumes on British history--an excellent writer, he has been encouraged and has writen about British history. After reading this book I got a good feel of the life at the time, and I think that is largely due to the historical records Schama uses that show the emotions and logic of the times. The beautiful pictures also help in fostering a sense of what Britain is and was like. This book is a very easy and enjoyable to read, and I think this book is perfect for the reader unfamiliar with British history but does not take to history per se.

This is popular history for those who know little but those who know a great deal will also find it enjoyable. Sure, it is a coffee table book, but so what?I loved it as I loved the two other volumes.It would also make a nice gift for anyone interested in British history. So what if they know everything? They can look at the pictures.

This third and final volume is a winning culmination of Schama's wonderful "A History of Britain." Schama himself affirms that this is "a" History of Britain, not "the" History of Britain. Yes, it's impressionistic, but this also allows Schama to use his brilliant writing skills. Nobody narrates history like Schama. The previous reviewer's comments about Schama not considering the War oif 1812, etc., seems beside the point. This is not a textbook, and Thank God for that! If you're a Schama fan (as I am), you won't be disappointed by this book. I especially enjoyed Schama use of George Orwell (my favorite writer) as a locus for describing Britain in the early 20th Century. If you're at all interested in history, you should buy this wonderful book.