The second volume of this excellent series moves from Chaucer to Newton covering the Plantagenets, Tudors, Stuarts, The Civil War and The Glorious Revolution while staying focused on the characters and stories that illustrate the continuing development of England as a country and a society. The periods covered here are the areas of English history where I’ve done the most reading so at times I felt Lacey had skipped some important parts, and the 2012 discoveries under a Leicester parking lot make some of his text on Richard III now seem a little outdated. But overall it’s another enjoyable and informative read. ( )

What it says on the tin. A quite reasonable forward justifying its existence and nice little article about William Caxton. Every so often, though, makes a specious relation to modern times. ( )

I reviewed the previous book in this series, though right now I can't find a copy of the third one.

This book was much the same as the previous one, though the content has changed now to encompass the War of the Roses period and the general political climate that that encompassed. The stories were interesting, and the bibliography at the back rather good. I quite liked the fact that [a:Robert Lacey|31112|Robert Lacey|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1271482714p2/31112.jpg] included both Museums and Gardens, books and websites - primary sources are great. I sent several recommendations based upon the bibliography to my parents, who will be in England soon. Talk about good timing, right?

This book offers a very nice introduction to the stories and legends that shaped England into what it is today. The bibliography is a very good resource for finding out more information, and the family trees in the beginning help sort out some of the more complicated lineages (here's looking at you, Henry VIII).

All in all, this was a nice, accessible resource that has greatly aided me by giving me context for the more in-depth history contained in [a:Peter Ackroyd|16881|Peter Ackroyd|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1232835556p2/16881.jpg]'s [b:London The Biography|107400|London The Biography|Peter Ackroyd|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223792436s/107400.jpg|695097]. ( )

A lively and extremely readable journey through the major events and characters in the history of England, 1387-1688. This is a subject I knew embarrassingly little about before, and I feel like the book gave me a solid handle on the general shape of the country's history. ( )

Great Tales from English History (Book 2): Joan of Arc, the Princes in the Tower, Bloody Mary, Oliver Cromwell, Sir Isaac Newton, and More by Robert Lacey. This was a quick read, for history. Nothing new, this would be a great first book or overview of English history from about 1400-1650. If you've already studied this period, this will lack depth. ( )