Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This is a really unique and ambitious format aimed at introducing people to the history of the British Isles in small and easy to understand segments. For the most part, I think the author achieved his goal. It can be read at one's leisure and I recommend it for anyone just beginning to try to tackle history.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review
This is not what I was expecting at all. I was thinking maybe it would be a little more personable I guess, but it felt like reading a very clinical textbook.

I really had been expecting the history of England and Britain in 100 bite-size chunks...and this is not what you get in this book! Unless 'bite-size' stands for a giant's mouth, and 'chunks' are supposed to be those extra-super-size-me portions... But that said, it was a delightful surprise to find this out, because each chapter (let's please not call it chunks!) is rife with details and information and a level of research that simply blows the mind! It really is best to keep this book on the bedside table or the coffee table and pick it up everyday to read 1 chapter aka a chunk in the book, so you really get to savor the well-thought out prose and mingling and weaving of historical detail that is really, really obscure at times, but such a delight to uncover.
But while I did enjoy the parts about early geology of the actual land to the history of its kings and the royal tiffs and everything else that shaped the far history of this part of the world, once the 18th century is reached, the read failed to keep my attention, veering into details that seemed unfitting of history per se (though it is still a treasure trove of goodies, it sort of lost the historian-focus and veered more into the author's opinion of what worked and why and how, which turned it into another book from that point on).
Still, so much to be learned from this frankly mind-blowing text that is a true treasure of England and Britain's history

Rating 3.5 stars

Whilst it certainly is an interesting and informative history book, the sections feel longer than bite-sized. I have learnt quite a bit from it, but I do wish when the author had first mentioned the Vikings that it was explained then and not much later on that "Viking" is a Victorian term rather than one used from the get-go.

I received this book the netgalley in return for a honest review.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. This review will also be posted to Goodreads.

I was actually really surprised by this book. I am a huge fan of British history/Britain in general, and I often do searches on NetGalley to see if any British-themed books available for reviewing. I thought that this would be sort of like a pocket guide, or something short like a novella-sized read. I was really surprised to find a lengthy, well-researched and well-thought out book! It's really ambitious of the author to undertake this project. There is quite a lot to cover, digest, and relay back to the reader. But I think this book does a really good job of just that. In fact, I would really like to own this book as part of my Brit History collection. I learned about bits of history that I haven't really become well-acquainted with because this book covers some of the underrepresented parts of the past. I really like and appreciate the work that the author put into this book.

Well done!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Troubador Publishing Ltd. Matador for my copy of English and British History in 100 Bite-size Chunks by Paul Hodson in exchange for an honest review. It published September 28, 2020.
What a neat little book! I think this would make a great gift, or a coffee table conversation starter. Any Anglophile would be drawn to this and the format is really fun to read. It doesn't feel like reading a text book like many non-fiction books can feel. It was clearly well-researched.

This book is perfectly arranged for someone like me who is interested in history but can't read a whole book on one person or subject without losing interest. It takes one event in the History of England and looks at it from various views like the location, people who live there, events surrounding the area, etc and gives a short to the point description of the idea. Covers the Tutors, Romans, and the middle ages. Good gift for a teen reader interested in world history. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

British history in bitesize chunks.
I love history but I also love history books that present topics in an accessible way, which this book does.
The author clearly is very knowledgeable and has a passion for his subject. I would highly recommend.

A different way to look at history. The 'chunks' are easy to digest and hold the interest. Worth a read

This is exactly what I needed to get a better grasp on British history, my knowledge patchy as it is. I think one is best visited as a reference book, as it is still difficult to consume as one massive history. Wonderfully engaging though, and many thanks to Paul Hodson for taking the time to breaking it all down for me to enjoy!!

It is an ambitious task to summarise history into 100 ‘bite-size’ pieces but Paul Hodgson does the task well. The chapters are longer than I expected but I enjoyed it.

This is an ambitious project to explain the whole history of the British Isles (well mainly England though) from its geological formation towards the current historical crossroads. The early chapters do exactly that. Later in the history, the author also gives his own personal view on events or tendencies as he quotes other historians.
It certainly told me some facts that I didn’t know and was very well written in a language that’s easy to understand. Because of the conciseness of this book, there’s no in-depth exploration of events or controversies. But that’s not what you would expect from a work like this. There are no lists of names and dates just a clear narration of the most important innovations and contributions of the various historical periods. As such it is a very interesting book for someone that doesn’t know all that much about British history beyond the generally known famous kings and queens. If you want to know more about specific periods or people, you can easily find appropriate books. There’s a long list with references at the end.
Only the final chapters about the possible future of Britain and the views on immigration are more philosophical and might be the product of the author’s personal beliefs and ideals and can be a bit controversial.
I received a free ARC from Netgalley and Matador and this is my honest and unbiased review of it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Matador, and the author for this advanced reading copy. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I'm American but a big fan of British history, and I enjoyed this book. If you're looking for a huge discussion on Queen Victoria you're not going to get it here. But if you're looking for well-researched chunks of thousands of years of history then this is your book. I actually think this would be great as an assignment for school--it would be easy to assign & have discussions on a couple chapters at a time.

Overall a great overview of British history!

I'm a self-confessed History nerd and proud of it. although my interest mainly lies in the Roman/Greek era through to the Renaissance, I found this a very interesting read.

Everything is in a manageable size. Even when it's not your "thing" the chapters are short enough that you don't feel it too much of a slog. Non-history buffs may find it a bit hard-going and dry but I enjoyed it. A couple more illustrations/maps, etc wouldn't go amiss though.

Plenty of information to give you the impression of learning something without feeling that you're about to launch into a thesis!

Princess Fuzzypants here: If you are expecting a small tome with bit sized chunks of history, you will either be disappointed or delighted. This lengthy book is jam-packed with well researched and far more extensive coverage than the title seems to indicate. Usually a book with such a title would be good for dipping in and out at whim. This one makes you want to keep reading in chronological order. So what to some might be a deterrent, it is a bonus in fact. You just need to know what it is you are buying.

As for the content, it is well written and is somewhere between a quick blurb and a long thesis. It also provides a pretty fair interpretation of events. You cannot ask much more of any history. Some of the details were fascinating especially when it goes back to the very beginning before the tectonic plates made the island that exists today. I did enjoy it. Four purrs and two paws up.

If you love history this book is for you. It really is a well researched and comprehensive guide to the history of our country. There is a lot of fascinating information in this right from creation which I was not expecting so everyone is going to learn things even if you think you know it all.

A wonderfully written informative read.An easy interesting way to learn British history.A book that’s fun to dip in and out of.Highly recommend.#netgalley #troubadorbooks

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a history freak, I was excited to read this book. Full of facts and information. Great for people studying the subject, quizzers, and general interest. Recommended.

It is very difficult to write an entire history of England/Britain in 400 pages, yet Hodson does just that! I think this book would be best read slowly, one chapter at a time. It’s the perfect type of book to pick up when you have a spare few minutes. I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in British history, but doesn’t have the time to read several volumes about it.

The first several sections were my favorite. Prehistory and very early history are the time periods I know the least about, so I learned the most from those sections. The sections got drier as they went on, particularly from the Victorians through modern day.

There were several pictures and maps included, which were good, but this book would benefit from many more. I would actually love there to be one photo per section.

I also really wish there was a “further reading” section at the end of each chapter, which then listed the referenced sources. There were several times when I wanted to know more about a topic, but without regular annotations there is no way to find the corresponding source from the bibliography.

*I received an e-Arc from NetGalley in exchange for writing an honest review*