Our Island Story
Our Island Story: A Child's History of England, published abroad as An Island Story: A Child's History of England, is a book by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall, first published in 1905 in London by T. C. & E. C. Jack.[1]
 | |
| Author | H. E. Marshall |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | A. S. Forrest |
| Cover artist | A. S. Forrest |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Subject | History |
| Genre | Reference |
| Publisher | Civitas/Galore Park |
Publication date | 1905 |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 512 pp |
| ISBN | 1-902984-74-9 |
| OCLC | 63134934 |
| Followed by | Scotland's Story |
It covers the history of England from the time of the Roman occupation until Queen Victoria's death, using a mixture of traditional history and mythology to explain the story of British history in a way accessible to younger readers.[2]
Prime Minister David Cameron chose Our Island Story when asked to select his favourite childhood book in October 2010:[2]
- "When I was younger, I particularly enjoyed Our Island Story by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall [...] It is written in a way that really captured my imagination and which nurtured my interest in the history of our great nation."[2]
The book depicts the union of England and Scotland as a desirable and inevitable event,[3] and praises rebels and the collective will of the common people in opposing tyrants, including kings like John and Charles I.
Influence
The book inspired the parody 1066 and All That.
References
- OLIS
- Hough, Andrew (29 October 2010). "Revealed: David Cameron's favourite childhood book is Our Island Story". Telegraph.co.uk.
- "Our Island Story: Not as Conservative as David Cameron imagines", The Guardian, 7 February 2014. Accessed 11 March 2016
External links
- Full text e-book of An Island Story (1920 U.S. edition) (note that the 1953 edition continued to the First World War).
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
