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Early English History Made Palatable!
When your children need a grasp of England's earliest history, you will not find an easier way to accomplish that than with this charming masterpiece. Timberdoodle reviewers of these landmark CDs found themselves captivated not only by the timelessness of Our Island Story, but also by the fabulous narration by the melodious Anna Bentinck and the gallant Daniel Philpott.

Fact and Fiction, Lords and Legends
Originally published in 1905, Our Island Story begins with the legendary story of Albion and continues through the end of the reign of Queen Victoria. The author, H. E. Marshall, brilliantly distinguishes between folk tales and historical facts as she weaves together an engaging assortment of kings, queens, knights, and explorers that make up the history of England.

Written by a Mom for Her Kids
Your family will be mesmerized by the retelling of King Alfred and the cakes; King John and the Magna Carta; King Arthur and his Round Table; Queen Elizabeth and the Spanish Armada; Wellington at Waterloo; Florence Nightingale; the Black Hole of Calcutta; and many others. Originally written by H.E. Marshall to answer her children's questions about the history of "their home island," Great Britain, while they were living in Australia, she retells these dramatic stories with simple words and absorbing imagery in a way that makes them easy to remember and understand.

Polically Incorrect
When being politically correct was the norm, Our Island Story fell from fashion, but its recent re-release in the UK resulted in sales of some 75,000 copies in a few months. You will love the refreshingly Christ-honoring perspective! Our Island Story has been called one of the most influential works of history of the 20th century, one of the great children's history books of all time, and the book that leading historians of the present day have said ignited a love of history in their young minds.

More Adventure, Less Textbook
The author herself wrote, "… 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."

No More Tedious Car Trips!
Though slightly edited on account of historical changes and attitudes, Our Island Story is presented in thirteen unabridged CDs, for approximately sixteen hours of engrossing enjoyment, making it perfect for those otherwise mindless car trip hours.

H. E. Marshall's classic children's chronicle of Britain, Our Island Story, includes all the best-loved (and most infamous!) stories from history: King Alfred and the cakes; King John and the Magna Carta; Lord Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar; Queen Elizabeth and the Spanish Armada; and many others. This box set contains the complete and unabridged text, released previously in separate volumes. It is read with aplomb by Anna Bentinck and Daniel Philpott.

REVIEWS:

Naxos's recording of H. E. Marshall's Our Island Story is a jewel in their crown. Written at the height of Edwardian confidence in the British Empire, it tells the history of Britain from its beginnings to the death of Queen Victoria. This is exactly what children need to counter the disconnected history now taught in schools. Read by the dulcet Anna Bentinck and the noble-sounding Daniel Philpott, with stirring music from Naxos's library of recordings, each of the three volumes gives a child five hours of fun.
Amanda Craig, Independent on Sunday

History has all the best stories, and all the best histories are more compelling heard aloud. The immediacy of H. E. Marshall's Our Island Story turned several generations of twentieth century children into history addicts. Long-rubbished by the politically correct, it has just enjoyed a centenary renaissance in print, and could do even better as an unabridged audiobook as much for parents as children.

Here is the history that we grew up on: Boadicea and Caractacus standing up to the Romans, King Arthur and his Round Table, Alfred burning the cakes, Blondel seeking out Richard the Lionheart, the princes in the Tower, Guy Fawkes, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Wolfe at Quebec, Wellington at Waterloo, Florence Nightingale, the Black Hole of Calcutta, and the relief of Mafeking. Some of the euphemisms will raise belly-laughs (the Romans “were rude to Boadicea's daughters”) but there is much still to stir the spirit.

Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall admitted that it included fairytales as well as history, but she was wise about the value of legends and myths to a nation's sense of itself. Narration is divided between Anna Bentinck and Daniel Philpott.


Why Audiobooks?

Typically children spend the first ten to twelve years of their lives with an intellectual capacity that exceeds their reading ability. Involved parents recognize this and make reading to their children a part of their everyday routine. As a result, those children tend to have improved listening and comprehension skills, larger vocabularies, and better imaginations. But even in families where read-aloud books are the norm, most teaching parents just do not have the luxury of spending countless hours reading to their children. For them, audiobooks are a windfall.

Just like with reading, listening to an audiobook requires that the child work to interpret the meaning, think critically about the content, and use his imagination. Also, audiobooks can expose your child to unfamiliar dialects, accents, or even the pronunciation of certain uncommon words. This exposure will develop your child's sense of the rich and various ways in which language can be used to convey meaning.

In many cases, a child that would balk at reading a classic book will eagerly listen to the same title read by an animated and skilled reader. And sometimes, due to the intensity and the emotional grip of an unusually gifted reader, the listener may retain even more of the storyline than if he had read it himself.

On top of that, using audiobooks in homeschool gives parents time to deal with more pressing issues. And audiobooks used on vacations or commutes provide a link to a vast array of topics for discussion between the listening parents and children. Plus, audiobooks can make the dreariest tasks -- be they cleaning, weeding, or folding laundry -- the highlight of the day. Merely insert a CD and be instantly transported into the virtual pages of a book. And there is nothing quite as relaxing as doing a craft while listening to a book on tape. Professionally recorded classics bring life and depth to your whole family's literary experience.

Christina Hardyment, The Times