originally published by Burns and Lambert, London without an author listed
republished by Hillside Education
When this book was published last year, I bought a copy without any real plan for using it. I ended up reading it aloud to all of the children (tenth grade, seventh grade, fifth grade, and third grade). We enjoyed it so much! None of us have ever read Our Island Story and, until the starting high school, none of us had studied much British history beyond the colonization of North America.
I feel like this book was a great little introduction to British history. It gave a bit of background that will be useful for the younger ones when they get to high school. The British story is much more integral to the personality of American government and history than I had realized.
As we were reading, the youngest ones would eagerly look at our fun rulers of England ruler to see who was next in line. (Yes, Kansas Dad and I bought ours at Westminster Abbey when we visited last year. It's also where we bought the other gift we brought home to the kids: Shakespearean insult magnets. I'm...not sure what that says about us.)
Isn't it odd that the book doesn't have an author? I even contacted the publisher to be certain. Whoever it was certainly wasn't afraid to offer opinions on the characters, personalities, and virtues of the people of history, or for the entire American form of government. The children and I enjoyed the comments and assertions, though. We debated them ourselves around the table as I read. When writing about the end of the Revolutionary War, the author declares the American non-monarchical government the "most dangerous and least lasting kind of government." The kids erupted with comments and assertions at that!
Near the end of the book, approaching the present of about 1830, the author wrote:
In painting, and sculpture, and architecture, England made some progress; but it is impossible for any country, cut off from the Church, to possess that genius in art which only the Church can inspire. English painting has for a long time dwindled down to mere mechanical efforts to imitate natural objects; and until the love of our blessed Lady and the glorious chorus of the Saints and Soldiers of the Church inspires our dear country with love, art must continue in this degraded state.
We had such a great discussion about art, beauty, faith, non-Western art, and so much more!
I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I did purchase the book at a discounted price, but with no expectation or promise of any kind of review. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.
