Northerners: The bestselling history of the North of England

Product Information

That said, it's all done with the wonderfully light touch of a seasoned, gifted uthor who knows how to organise his material and draw the best from it. Did not finish as currently in a non fiction slump, but might pick this up in hard copy in the future.

I appreciate having to condense thousands of years of history into around 330 or so pages represents something of a challenge, yet at times the more read more like something of a curated list of points of interest in Northern history, than a compelling narrative about the North. The chapters covering the Middle Ages were especially draining, seeming to be one long list of battles with little to no supporting framework.

I thought this book was brilliant from the beginning up to the Industrial Revolution, creating a compelling narrative about the North. I think it was a good starter to learning some of the history of Northern England but it was also frustrating for me to read.

St Oswald and Bede shaped the spiritual and cultural landscapes of Britain and Europe, and the world was revolutionised by the inventions of Richard Arkwright and the Stephensons.For me, this was a true depiction of the north from bits of shameful truth, hardship, inequality, diversity and with a sprinkle of hilarity. I think the structure of the book was not well enough thought out and the writing is not sufficiently effective to compensate for the structural weaknesses which allow for a lot of repetition.

I love the North dearly, and it's disappointing that a book with such a promising premise is so lacking in any kind of Northern spirit. Northerners tells the formidable history of the North of England through the people and events that have shaped it – and the wider world – from the Ice Age to the post-Brexit era.The devastation of factory and pit closures in the 1980s, for example, echoed the trauma of William the Conqueror’s Harrying of the North. A very well organised and accessible history from the ice age to the present day of the North of England. Definitely recommend reading it rather than listening to the audiobook version because personally, I found it felt like listening to a never ending dull lecture which got a bit repetitive to be honest. Also former editor of Scotland on Sunday, which he launched as deputy editor and which won many awards.

And despite the negativity with which the book ends, the North is not doomed to repeat a cycle of failing to evaluate and learn from our history. Amazing that no one has apparently written this book before, but luckily Brian Groom has now made an excellent job of filling that gap.Throughout the book there is always a north/south divide which won't be overcome by southerners as the author suggests, there is no real will there. Astonishingly, these conflicts account for more than half of the past 2,000 years, if you include the Roman era.