UK: Finally, a reminder that these islands DO have a proud history (classic school texts reissued)

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | April 17, 2010 | Peter Hitchens

[Stoat]

(edit)

I would have liked my own children to learn such proper history, except that by the time I found out the sort of confusing, demoralising trash that passes for history in today’s schools, it was too late. 

As I gazed in disgust at the feeble, babyish pamphlets – designed in many cases to undermine the version I was taught – and scraps of photocopied paper which nowa days do the duty of textbooks, I wondered what had become of the histories I had studied. 

They had vanished in some vast Sixties bonfire, in many ways as bad as Hitler’s book burnings, part of the great destruction of knowledge and continuity that took place in that accursed decade. 

The revolutionaries knew that one of the things they had to destroy was the decent, modest patriotism that had until then been pretty much universal. How better to do that than to slander our past and conceal it? 

Now, the publishers Stacey International have had the superb idea of reprinting the fine, elegantly written school histories of Carter and Mears, whose rediscovered pages took me back in an instant to a long-ago classroom. 

Reading them now, I find many things that I had forgotten come to life again in my memory.

(edit)

[Stoat]

My apologies for the severe editing of this article....this was done in order to remain in compliance with Free Republic rules pertaining to the posting of articles from the UK Daily Mail.  Please click on the main article link to see the full story.

 

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Lessons for life: Once children were taught the history of our proud nation

 

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UK readers can purchase directly from the publisher

Stacey International Publishers

 

A History of Britain book II, The Normans, The Black Death & The Peasants' Revolt 1066-1485

EH Carter;  RAF Mears

Volume II takes the reader from the Norman Invasion to the death of Richard III at Bosworth, encompassing Magna Carta, The Black Death and the Peasants' Revolt.

 

 

168 pages, Hardback
198x132mm, Portrait 

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Published September 2010

ISBN-10: 1906768366
ISBN-13: 9781906768362 

 

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I don't know if we Yanks can buy them direct from the UK publisher, but I'm seeing them listed at the US Amazon site.  The first volume, "Early Times To 1485" is not shown (yet) at the UK publisher's site and also is indicated as being 'unavailable' at the US Amazon site.  If the publisher doesn't reissue the first volume, you can probably still get original copies on eBay.

Amazon.com- A history of Britain carter and mears- Books

 

[Stoat]

We can recover what was lost. Make sure your children read these books, and encourage this fine enterprise.

 

 

[Tax-chick]

Looks neat. I wonder how it addresses the American Revolution and the War of 1812?

[Bigg Red]

The revolutionaries knew that one of the things they had to destroy was the decent, modest patriotism that had until then been pretty much universal. How better to do that than to slander our past and conceal it?

%%%
Same as the plan implemented here in the US.

[manc]

glad I’m sitting down.

To add it is also us parents who have to tell our kids about our past. My oldest actually asked the teachers on a number of occasions why they don’t learn so and so in the class room.

[Vanders9]

American Revolution = British victory (we got rid of you) :)

War of 1812 = unimportant military stalemate (we didnt bother too hard because we had bigger fish to fry in Spain and France)

[Tax-chick]

LOL - sounds reasonable.

[Malesherbes]

Peter (the good brother) Hitchen’s reference to Poland is apt. He suggests that since Poland recovered in a generation from the devastation rained on it, Britain could recover too from its present morass.

I would hope so, but there are differences. Pre-war Poland was torn by “diversity.” About thirty percent of its population were minorities, often with divided loyalties. Post-war Poland is virtually homogeneous. Britain today is wallowing in diversity.

Poland has two other strengths, nationalism and religion. Nationalism is systematically suppressed in Britain and religion has virtually vanished.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

As a history graduate, I have to wonder whether it is a great idea to manipulate history to suit an agenda, whatever that agenda might be. It should be about analyzing the facts without preconceptions or spin....

[Eepsy]

Richard III was framed!

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

I would have liked my own children to learn such proper history, except that by the time I found out the sort of confusing, demoralising trash that passes for history in today’s schools, it was too late.

I am in awe of England and the English people. At least the England that once was.

Could they ever make a movie like "The White Cliffs of Dover" again?

Highly recommended for those that want to be inspired by England's honor, bravery and sense of duty during two world wars.

Absolutely awe inspiring.

[Tax-chick]

Facts have to be presented in some kind of context. Is it realistic to think, for example, that history texts would treat all wars as if all the parties were morally equivalent? And no text can present all the known facts about a subject - there simply isn’t time or room. Selection of the facts to be included, as this article discusses, is part of the perspective of the text or course.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

As a history graduate, I have to wonder whether it is a great idea to manipulate history to suit an agenda, whatever that agenda might be. It should be about analyzing the facts without preconceptions or spin....

That's not realistic. It's what do the facts say that is difficult. e.g. was Julius Caesar a great general and statesman or a cruel tyrant? Or both?

Historians have come down on both sides. And a few saying "somewhere in between".

[Stoat]

The revolutionaries knew that one of the things they had to destroy was the decent, modest patriotism that had until then been pretty much universal. How better to do that than to slander our past and conceal it?

%%%
Same as the plan implemented here in the US.

Indeed, and the vile plans of the Left are now put on display for all the world to see by our current 'president', who goes out of his way to publicly indicate his embarrassment and outright disdain for America at every opportunity.

 

[Stoat]

glad I’m sitting down.

To add it is also us parents who have to tell our kids about our past. My oldest actually asked the teachers on a number of occasions why they don’t learn so and so in the class room.

I'm very sorry to hear that.  Thankfully these books are being made available once again so that homeschoolers, private schools and anyone who is interested in a more honest and complete portrayal of history might have an opportunity to circumvent the anti-Western and generally anti-scholarship agenda of the academic Left.

It was only years later that I discovered how much garbage I had been fed during my public school years, as well as how very much had been omitted.  As is the case for so many, I've had to come to the conclusion that in many ways the public schools interfered with my education, and needlessly so.

[Vanders9]

Really? Reading back they sounded like really cobbled together excuses! :)

[Tax-chick]

“Reasonable” like my sons’ excuses for not doing their homework ;-).

The War of 1812 really was idiotic for both sides, though. Even a handful of people with sense in government should have been able to sort out the issues without fighting.

[Vanders9]

I dont know whether its a great idea to manipulate history to suit an agenda, but its certainly a very common one.

Everyone "manipulates" the past to one extent or another, either to justify or to condemn someone or something in he present. In fact, I would go so far as to say that any given "take" on the past tells you as much about the historian as it does the history.

[Vanders9]

There are many wars which, as you say, could have been easily sorted out with a modicum of sense and a couple of small compromises. The war of 1812 was certainly one.

The corollory therefore is that the alleged reasons for the war were, in fact, nothing more than excuses, and you have to look deeper into what actually was happening to figure out why a trial of arms was called for.

[BroJoeK]

"As a history graduate, I have to wonder whether it is a great idea to manipulate history to suit an agenda, whatever that agenda might be. It should be about analyzing the facts without preconceptions or spin...."

All history must, of necessity, be told from some perspective or other, and the most popular perspective is that of the readers' own backgrounds and interrests.

Thus Americans, Brits, French, Germans, etc., etc., are each interested in their own "take" on history -- versions which emphasize their own culture's accomplishments, the courage of their explorers & soldiers, the holiness of their own saints, the rightness of their causes, etc.

And when, as happens from time to time, a country ends up on the wrong side of history, then the books should explain that with great sympathy and enough details so the readers come to understand how the "good guys" sadly went down the wrong path.

I could list any number of examples, but for starters we might consider the US Civil War as told from the perspectives of, say, Southern soldiers or Union politicians or slaves. These are going to be very different histories.

Nothing wrong with that, imho, as long as it's all done honestly, accurately and fairly. Historians, of course, are interested in every one of these stories.

Our problem is that these days so many history text books are under the control of leftists who see history as a weapon to advance their own political agendas against the country's children they are supposed to be teaching.