I chose this book because I thought its rhymes would help me learn British history, but it absolutely did not work. There are so many damned royals named Charles, Edward, William, James, or Henry, it's just impossible to keep them and their role in history straight. Now, aside from not sticking in my head at all, the book was fine. In fact, it was pretty fun to read. So good for general fun reading, but probably not for learning/retaining info. ( )

An attempt to relate the history of Britain, in an entertaining way, from about 55BC (the Romans arrival in Britain) to 1966. 'Attempt' is the defining word for me - one star for effort, perhaps, but this isn't a success. This may be partly because I find this form - the semi-serious history - very unsatisfying. It's trying to be educational and light-hearted and fails at both. '1066 and all that' is another example, although I know that there are many, many people who like that book. If you do, perhaps you will also like this one.

But you do have to deal with the added problem of the quality of the poetry, which ranges from acceptable to appalling. Here's an example, from the flyleaf, where the author has chosen to describe themselves in verse:

Four lines I'm granted to describe my life -
No need for more, as far as I can see!
I've got two children and a helpful wife
And don't take any sugar in my tea.

Some of it is worse than that, and some of it is better. But it frequently fails to scan and is very hard work.

The text is illustrated with light-hearted (but again, not actually funny) cartoons and is annotated with remarks indicating which historical event is being described, which gives it some credibility from the educational point of view. But I struggle to understand who would gain pleasure, or learn much, from reading this. ( )

I cannot understand why I bought this. `The third King Edward's reign was stable/He even planned his own Round Table`. Still can't understand why I bought it.

Full Review

I'm not much into poetry, (I can barely read Shel Silverstein), but I love British history. Anglophile that I am, I was glad to come across James Muirden's, A Rhyming History of Britain. Writing more for his own amusement and desire to remember, Muirden's couplets tell the sometimes sad but often hilarious history of the reigning monarchs of England from the Celts to the free love 1960's. ( )