I am a bit over halfway into the 29 hour read/audio of Jill Lepore’s These Truths, and this evening while listening to , Conversations with Tyler, he mentioned The English and Their History by Robert Tombs as being his top nonfiction read and considers it top of the decade, a must read. Having lived in England for a couple years, worked there for several more, and call many English friends, I decided to add it to my To Read list.
- Robert Tombs
- Non-Fiction
- Rich
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This is widely considered the most ambitious and comprehensive one-volume history of England written in decades. If you enjoyed the sweep of Jill Lepore’s These Truths, this is the perfect British counterpart.
🌟 Reason to Read
You should read The English and Their History because it manages to be both immense in scale and incredibly intimate. Robert Tombs, a Cambridge professor, writes with a “continental” perspective—he lived in France for years—which allows him to look at England with a unique blend of affection and objective distance. If you want to understand why England acts the way it does today (including the roots of Brexit and the country’s unique relationship with the rest of the UK), this book provides the necessary historical DNA. It is scholarly, yet moves with the pace of a great story.
📖 No-Spoiler Synopsis
Robert Tombs sets out to answer a deceptively simple question: Who are the English? He moves away from the “Whig” version of history (which suggests everything was a slow, inevitable march toward progress) and instead looks at the accidents, conflicts, and cultural shifts that forged a nation.
The book explores:
The Fusion: How Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Normans blended to create a distinct identity.
The Power: The rise of Parliament, the English Reformation, and the creation of a global empire.
The Myths: How the English have remembered (and sometimes misremembered) their own past to create a sense of national unity.
The Modern Era: The decline of the Empire, the impact of the World Wars, and the search for a new role in the 21st century.⭐ Reviews
The Economist:
“A masterpiece… vast, learned, and sharp-witted. Tombs has a gift for the pithy summary and the unexpected detail. It is the most essential book on the subject in a generation.”
The Spectator:
“Magisterial and provocative. Tombs challenges the modern ‘declinist’ view of England, offering instead a story of resilience and constant reinvention. It is history at its most vibrant.”🎙️ Audible Note
The audiobook is narrated by Derek Perkins. If you are a fan of “delightful and easy to listen to” non-fiction, Perkins is a gold standard in the industry. He has a sophisticated, crisp British voice that makes even the most dense political history feel clear and engaging. He handles the 35+ hour runtime with a steady, commanding pace that makes it a perfect long-term project.