Contents 
Front Matter Albion and Brutus The Coming of the Romans The Romans Come Again Caligula Conquers Britain The Story of Boadicea The Last of the Romans The Story of St. Alban Vortigern and King Constans Hengist and Horsa Hengist's Treachery The Giant's Dance The Coming of Arthur Founding of the Round Table Gregory and the Children King Alfred Learns to Read Alfred and the Cowherd More About Alfred the Great Ethelred the Unready Edmund Ironside Canute and the Waves Edward the Confessor Harold Godwin The Battle of Stamford Bridge The Battle of Hastings Hereward the Wake Death of the King The Story of William the Red The Story of the "White Ship" The Story of King Stephen Henry II—Gilbert and Rohesia Thomas a Becket The Conquest of Ireland Richard Coeur de Lion How Blondel Found the King The Story of Prince Arthur The Great Charter Henry III and Hubert de Burgh Simon de Montfort The Poisoned Dagger The War of Chalons The Lawgiver The Hammer of the Scots King Robert the Bruce The Battle of Bannockburn The Battle of Sluys The Battle of Crecy The Siege of Calais The Battle of Poitiers Wat Tyler's Rebellion How Richard Lost His Throne The Battle of Shrewsbury Prince Hal Sent to Prison The Battle of Agincourt The Maid of Orleans Red Rose and White Margaret and the Robbers The Story of the Kingmaker A King Who Wasn't Crowned Two Princes in the Tower The Make-Believe Prince Another Make-Believe Prince The Field of the Cloth of Gold Defender of the Faith The Six Wives of Henry VIII The Story of a Boy King The Story of Lady Jane Grey Elizabeth a Prisoner A Candle Lit in England Elizabeth Becomes Queen A Most Unhappy Queen Saved from the Spaniards Sir Walter Raleigh The Queen's Favourite The Story of Guy Fawkes The Story of the Mayflower A Blow for Freedom King and Parliament Quarrel The King Brought to Death The Adventures of a Prince The Lord Protector How Death Plagued London How London was Burned The Fiery Cross The Story of King Monmouth The Story of the Seven Bishops William the Deliverer William III and Mary II A Sad Day in a Highland Glen How the Union Jack was Made Earl of Mar's Hunting Party Bonnie Prince Charlie Flora MacDonald The Black Hole of Calcutta How Canada Was Won How America Was Lost A Story of a Spinning Wheel Every Man Will Do His Duty The Battle of Waterloo The First Gentleman in Europe Two Peaceful Victories The Girl Queen When Bread was Dear Victorian Age: Peace Victorian Age: War The Land of Snow The Siege of Delhi The Pipes at Lucknow Under the Southern Cross From Cannibal to Christian Boer and Briton List of Kings

Our Island Story - H. E. Marshall



Marshall's storybook of English history is an undeniable classic, popular with generations of British children. It takes a romantic view of English history, combining the most well-known stories from British history with legends and folklore. It begins with the legends of Albion and Brutus, and covers Roman Britain, the British Middle Ages, and the rise of England through the Hanoverian Kings.

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[Book Cover] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
Charles I of England

CHARLES THE KING WALKED FOR THE LAST TIME THROUGH THE STREETS OF LONDON.


[Title] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
[Title Page] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
[Dedication] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall




How This Book Came to Be Written

"What a funny letter, Daddy," said Spen, as he looked at the narrow envelope which had just arrived, and listened to the crackle of the thin paper.

"Do you think so?" said Daddy. "It is from home."

"From home!" said Spen, laughing, "why, Daddy, this is home."

"I mean from the old country, Spen."

"The old country, Daddy?" said Veda, leaving her dolls and coming to lean against her father's knee, "the old country? What do you mean ?"

"I mean, 'the little island in the west' to which we belong, and where I used to live," said Daddy.

"But this is an island—a great big one, Mother says—so how can we belong to a little island?" asked Spen.

"Well, we do—at least, the big island and the little island belong to each other."

"Oh, Daddy, do explain yourself, you are not explaining yourself at all," said Veda.

"Well," said Daddy with a sigh, "long, long ago—"

"Oh!" said Spen, "it's a story," and he settled himself to listen.

"Yes," said Daddy, "it's a story, and a very long one, too. I think I must ask some one else to tell it to you."

And Daddy did ask some one else, and here is the story as it was told to Spen and Veda. I hope it will interest not only the children in this big island, but some of the children in "the little island in the west," too.

I must tell you, though, that this is not a history lesson, but a story-book. There are many facts in school histories, that seem to children to belong to lessons only. Some of these you will not find here. But you will find some stories that are not to be found in your school books,—stories which wise people say are only fairy tales and not history. But it seems to me that they are part of Our Island Story, and ought not to be forgotten, any more than those stories about which there is no doubt.

So, although I hope you will not put this book beside your school books, but quite at the other end of the shelf, beside Robinson Crusoe  and A Noah's Ark Geography, I hope, too, that it will help you to like your school history books better than ever, and that, when you grow up, you will want to read for yourselves the beautiful big histories which have helped me to write this little book for little people.

Then, when you find out how much has been left untold in this little book, do not be cross, but remember that, when you were very small, you would not have been able to understand things that seem quite simple and very interesting to you as you grow older. Remember, too, that I was not trying to teach you, but only to tell a story.

H. E. Marshall.


[Contents Page 1 of 6] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
[Contents Page 2 of 6] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
[Contents Page 3 of 6] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
[Contents Page 4 of 6] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
[Contents Page 5 of 6] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
[Contents Page 6 of 6] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
[List of Illustrations] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
[List of Illustrations (continued)] from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall