history text

reading a history of britain by simon schama. it's the third part, from 1776 to 2000. in the introduction schama says the indefinite article in the title suggest this shouldn't be regarded as a textbook and those looking for a textbook should look elsewhere. i disagree. if this had been my textbook for history in school i would have studied it and loved every bloody minute of it.

history really is interesting isn't it? in what other book does the first 2 chapters deal with characters as different and real as tom paine and mary woolstonecroft to nelson and wellington to wordsworth and hazlitt to george III and louis XVI? history is all drama and all conflict and it's all very good. i'm on chapter 3 now, victoria is about to reign. can't wait to see what happens.