The English and Their History

When asked why the colonists revolted, Bernard Bailyn—the noted historian of the American colonial and revolutionary periods—replied, “because they were good Englishmen.” In many ways a comprehensive review of English history helps us understand who we are as Americans. In this second semester of our two-semester study group, we will continue our survey of English history. Our primary text will be The English and Their History (Vintage Books, 2014) by Robert Tombs, professor of History at Cambridge University. We will pick up the story in the nineteenth century at the time of Victorian England and move on from there to study Imperial England, the First World War, the interwar years, the Second World War, and the postwar period up to the multicultural England of today. Participation in the first semester of this study group is not a requirement for participation in this second semester.