The Great British Reading List

Since my husband and I are heading to England for a bit this summer, I decided that one of my New Year's Resolutions should be to binge on some British history books. Now, this isn't so much a resolution as it is just an intensification of my everyday life, but there are definitely some periods in British history that I want to learn more about before we go. Last fall, I tried digging a bit more into pre-history, Roman Britannia, and the Anglo-Saxon period, as those have never really been my thing, and I feel like I learned a ton. (In addition to reading, I also really got into The British History Podcast, which was super helpful-- I definitely recommend it if you like a little humor with your history!) I think focusing on one period really heavily for periods of time is definitely a good way for me to learn.

So for the next six-ish months, I'm going to be reading a ton. I'm setting myself the goal of two books per month; while I'm pretty confident it will be more like a book per week, I also want to give myself some grace, so I'm setting the bar at a level I'm confident I can reach. If you're curious about what books I've chosen, read on:

The Great British Reading List:

1. Summer of Blood by Dan Jones: As interesting as royal history is, concentrating on it too much can leave a person with a pretty skewed view of what British history is. This book focuses on the Peasant's Revolt, an uprising that took place in the late 1300s as a result of social and economic oppression. 

2. Foundation by Peter Ackroyd: This book covers the period from prehistory all the way to the Tudors (late 1400s). While it would be pretty impossible to offer in-depth coverage in a single book with a time period that expansive, I'm hoping that it's a good overview and can help me pinpoint my knowledge gaps so I can do more research.

3. Growing up in Medieval London by Barbara A. Hanawalt: I thought this was an exceptionally interesting area that's often unaddressed--what it was like to be a child and come of age in a medieval English city. Definitely looking forward to this one. 

4.  How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman: This is another one that focuses more on the day-to-day life of the average person. The Victorian period is so incredible and interesting, but I feel like I don't know nearly enough about it. Hopefully this will help change that!

5. King John by Marc Morris: He *might* be the worst king in English history (although I know some people who would throw Richard III or Charles I in that position) so you know it's going to be good reading. 

6.  Life in Norman England by O.G. Tomkeieff: If you asked anyone with a passing interest in British history to give you a pivotal year, probably 90%--if not more--would tell you 1066, the year of the Norman Conquest. What they may not be able to tell you is how much life changed (or didn't change) for the average person. This book is a short one, but I'm hoping it can do just that.

7.  Magna Carta by Dan Jones: Another Dan Jones book that I think will follow nicely after the Marc Morris book above. King John appears to briefly touch on Magna Carta toward the very end, so it will be nice to follow it up with a more comprehensive take on the charter itself.

8.  Queens of England by Norah Lofts: with a few notable exceptions--Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn, Queen Victoria, and Eleanor of Aquitaine, for example--men tend to get the bulk of the attention in the historical record. (Patriarchy, am I right?) I'm looking forward to learning a lot more about the women I know in name only.

9.  The Royal Stuarts by Allan Massie: If you asked me about my weakest period of British history knowledge, it would for sure be the Stuart and Hanoverian periods. I'm really working on changing that before we hop across the pond, and hopefully this will be a good start.

10. The Plantagenets by Dan Jones: Can you tell I'm a Dan Jones fan? :) I'm actually a little over midway through this one already, but I had to include it anyway! 

11. The Three Edwards by Michael Prestwich: Prestwich is basically *the* expert on Edward I, so I'm really looking forward to reading his thoughts on the contrast between the monarchies (and there is a HUGE contrast!).

12: The Life and Times of William I by Maurice Ashley: I've also started this one already (because who reads on book at a time?!) and I think it will compliment Life in Norman England really well, as it focuses mainly on military, political, and royal history. Together I think I'll end up with a pretty well-rounded view of the Norman period. 

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Well, now that my nerd flag has been proudly flown, are you reading anything good? I'm already building a list of books I want to read when we get back and I can read fiction again--ha!--, so send any recommendations my way!