In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past

Author - Michael Wood ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Paperback Book item from University of California Press was reviewed on 25-Oct-2008.

Search ISBN:0520232186 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past Reference Book. Classifications : General England Europe History Subjects Books General AAS England Europe History Subjects Books Medieval Ireland Europe History Subjects Books General Ireland Europe History Subjects Books General AAS . Click the following link to view the cover of In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past.

Related topics: General. England. Europe. History. Subjects. Books. General AAS. England. Europe. History.

1) Paperback Book In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past by University of California Press. I don´t think you´ll find another book on history that is quite like this. It is, more or less, a loosely-connected group of essays that mix the personal with the public, the present with the past, the enduring with the transient. It gives you something of an inside look at what a world-class historian thinks and does. For instance, he may spend a considerable amount of time and effort unsuccessfully trying to be the first modern man to determine the location of the battle of Brunanburh (a very important, but obscure, battle fought by a very important, but obscure, king). This is the sort of thing that wouldn´t make it into a typical history book, but is quite fascinating nonetheless.

One part I found particularly interesting had to do with the concept of the "Norman Yoke," where a very young Wood finds himself debating Field Marshall Montgomery in the House of Lords! I was once involved in a very similar (if much less impressive) debate with my high school history teacher on the same subject. But I digress...

There are a lot of neat bits in this book about Aethelstan, Glastonbury, Robin Hood, Bede the Venerable, etc. Lots of pieces of information that even the well-read may have never seen. It´s the sort of book that can never make a best-seller list, but educates you not just about history, but how it is recovered and processed by historians.

A neat book, very nicely done - except, perhaps, for a couple of oddly gratuitous swipes at Margaret Thatcher.... 4 1/2 stars¤

2) Paperback Book In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past by University of California Press. Michael Wood is a rare historian - one who loves books and land, and people. Erudite, enthusiastic, plangent and moving, "In Search of England" is a life-changing history for anyone who reads it. Wood obviously loves Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxon and Medieval as well, although the book also draws connections reaching into early modern, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. So the whole continuum is there.

The book falls into three sections:
1. Myth and History. Wood excavates the popularity of icons such as King Arthur, sifting the evidence to pin them down in real time. The sociology is interesting, particularly in the case of Robin Hood ("Merrie Englande").

2. Manuscripts and Mysteries. Wearing his learning lightly, Wood shows the fascination of books, tracing one little book on its journey all the way back to Northern Italy. Wood revels in the tales of John Leland, antiquarian to Henry VIII; of Bishop Asser, who wrote the biography of Alfred the Great; and of a possible biography of King Athelstan, Alfred´s grandson.

3. Landscapes and People. I first regarded this section with some dread. How was it going to hold my interest, with such local emphasis? But each chapter, with each place subtly differentiated, sheds a fascinating light on England. And in each, Wood does take a journey, justifying the subtitle of his book: "JOURNEYS Into the English Past".

He explores a craftsman ("The Last Bowl-Turner of England"); a wood where Athelstan defeated the Vikings in 937AD ("Tinsley Wood"); "A Devon House" is all about continuity of occupancy; "Peatling Magna" shows a village community becoming politicized in 1265; "Jarrow and English History" deals with the beginnings of English historical writings under the Venerable Bede.

Best is last. The "Epilogue: "An English Family", shows both multiculturalism and patriotism off to their best effect, bringing things bang up to date with an incredible twist on your expectations as a reader.

Yes, it helps if you know English history. If you don´t, read this book with a date chart or search some of the people and places mentioned above on the Web first.

And when you read this book, prepare to feel uplifted and humbled, and privileged to be on this planet, Earth. Wood will immediately take his place on your list of ideal drinking companions.¤

3) Paperback Book In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past by University of California Press. Michael Wood has such a tremendous enthusiasm for history and books, it is impossible not to swept along by his joy. If you had not seen his television series, you might picture him as a hunched over academic scrouging through his books. No, he is a very energetic outdoorsy type with a real charm and flair for history.

I read this book after reading his work on the Trojan War and Alexander the Great. Both are fine books, particularly his amazing quest in the footsteps of Alexander. This work is a far better book, more detailed and more personal. He ranges over thousands of years of English history and enjoys bouncing ideas through time and space.

Wood is at his best when his describes the joy of old books and the historical treasure they contain. The pain of libraries being destroyed are very real in Wood´s work.

The book is collection of largely unrelated essays are based on the title of H.V Morton´s travel books. I enjoyed immensely his item on Morton and the story behind his stories.

The essay on an old english wood is one of the best pieces of historical detective work I have read - all the better in that he does not answer the question he sets out with.

The essays do not jell as a group into a systematic view of English history. They are the work of a highly gifted story teller who enjoys the practice and art of history.¤

4) Paperback Book In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past by University of California Press. Although academics may dismiss Wood´s populist histories both in print and on TV, he has a rare knack of connecting history with the daily life of us common folk and that alone makes him worth reading.

This 1999 work follows up on his other "In Search..." (Dark Ages, Trojan War, Alexander the Great, First Civilizations, Domesday). Essentially the series excavates legends and myths, some famous, some obscure, and relates a story about finding or visiting the site of the original.

In this one, Wood investigates the last wooden bowl turner in England, tracks a millenium old continuously used farmstead, the long argued site of Athelstan´s 937 victory, Bede´s church at Jarrow...15 in all...and all supplemented with judiciously chosen artwork.

A wonderful winter´s night read in the classic sense of a soft chair, warm fire, nice drink, and favorite pet....with the place all to yourself.....this one can take you there.¤

5) Paperback Book In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past by University of California Press. I enjoyed this book very much. I approached the book as an intelligent but poorly informed person who wanted to learn more about England between the time the Romans left and the Normans arrived. Mr Wood delivers in each chapter a lively, informative and accessible snapshot of some aspect of English history, deftly weaving equal parts of fact, drama and what-it-is-like-to-be-a-historian. Although each chapter stands up very well on its own, I can´t help but feel that this book needs a companion; something to place his various snapshots into the context of the broader sweep of Saxon history. If you know a little and want to learn more, get this book. But if you want a panorama of Saxon history, you will need to look elsewhere.¤

6) Paperback Book In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past by University of California Press. England is the birthplace of many immortal legends told around the world: King Arthur and Camelot, the Holy Grail, Robin Hood, the mysterious Isle of Avalon. But are these famous stories based on historical events and actual people? And what do they tell us about the character and origins of the Anglo-Saxon world, a culture that helped shape American identity?
In his absorbing new book, Michael Wood examines the roots of English history. Peeling back the layers of literary and oral material that have accumulated over the ages, he offers a fascinating series of rich stories--part history, part myth--that, directly or indirectly, touch on questions of English history and identity. He looks back at the legends surrounding Alfred the Great, King Athelstan, the lost library of Glastonbury, and more.
Wood´s emphasis is the Early Middle Ages, and the first two sections of the book offer deep excursions into particular moments in the history of that era. In addition to recounting some well-known legends, Wood considers the manuscripts and other primary sources of historical information on which they are based, assessing the validity of existing documentation, fleshing out historical contexts, and considering the treatment throughout history of these stories by famous writers, poets, and moviemakers.
In the third part of In Search of England, Wood writes about places that illuminate interesting aspects of early England: Tinsley Wood, near Sheffield, which has been claimed as the site of Athelstan´s great victory against the Celts in 937; a farmhouse in Devon which has been occupied since Domesday and possibly long before; and the village of Peatling Magna in Leicestershire, scene of an extraordinary confrontation with King Henry III in 1265. These are the places and events that offer a complementary version of the history that is discussed earlier in the book.
In Search of England is published at a significant moment. With the European union, and with assertions of independence within the United Kingdom, questions about English national identity have become increasingly topical both there and abroad. Wood offers a potent and revealing account of the origins of a culture that has had a significant impact worldwide. His narrative is a rich unfolding of history and legend reaching to the present day, and a delightfully readable meditation on the roots of the Anglo-Saxon world.¤

7) Paperback Book In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past by University of California Press. From the popular television historian whose previous books include In Search of the Trojan War and In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great comes this study of a pressing question: Now that Britain seems to be an increasingly meaningless concept, what does it mean to be English? Michael Wood traces an answer through many of the most cherished national myths, such as Robin Hood, King Arthur, Alfred the Great, and the mysteries of Glastonbury. As you would expect from Wood, he ranges about over the whole of England, rather than sticking to the obvious places. He visits Tinsley Wood near Sheffield, claimed as the site of Athelstan´s great victory over the Celts in A.D. 937. He finds a farmhouse in Devon that has been continuously occupied for 1000 years and a village in Leicestershire where the local peasantry confronted the king´s soldiers in 1265 to tell them that they were violating the rights of "the common people of England." The book also boasts a wonderful, judicious collection of reproductions of old posters and paintings showing how English forebears, particularly the Victorians, imaginatively recreated the country´s past in their own image. Timely, readable, and fascinating, this is popular history at its very best. --Christopher Hart, Amazon.co.uk¤

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 22-Nov-2008, 05202321869780520232181, 760-900-290-860-480-630-240-BWB-8

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