Cover of Our Island Story by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall

Our Island Story

by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall

13h 50m
Duration
1901
Published
Listen with Membership Browse the Library
About This Audiobook

Our Island Story: A Child's History of England is a beloved narrative history written in an engaging, storybook style for young readers. It begins with ancient legends, such as the mythical founding by Brutus (a descendant of Trojan Aeneas) and tales of giants like Albion, then weaves through the arrival of the Romans, the invasions of Saxons, Danes, and Normans, and key figures from King Arthur and Alfred the Great to William the Conqueror, the Magna Carta, and the Wars of the Roses.

The book presents British history as a romantic, heroic tale of liberty-loving people resisting tyrants (including kings like John and Charles I), celebrating bravery, unity, and moral growth. It covers the Tudor and Stuart eras, the rise of empire and exploration, up through Queen Victoria's reign (with some editions extending to World War I), blending verifiable events with folklore to make the island story feel alive and inspiring, while portraying the union of England and Scotland as a natural and positive development.

Meet the Author
Henrietta Elizabeth MarshallScottish Children's Author · 1867 – 1941

Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall, better known by her pen name H. E. Marshall, was a Scottish author born on August 9, 1867, in Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland. In her early adulthood, she briefly served as the superintendent at the University of Glasgow. After this period, she pursued a career as a full-time author, supporting herself through her publications in an era when few women did so. Marshall never married, maintained a very private life with no known interviews or personal diaries, and often used her initials to publish, possibly to conceal her gender in a male-dominated literary field. There are no known images of her likeness.

Marshall's most enduring contribution to children's literature came with the publication of Our Island Story: A Child's History of England in 1905. This engaging narrative traces Britain's history from legendary times—including myths like Brutus of Troy—through the Roman occupation, medieval eras, and up to the death of Queen Victoria. Written in a story-like style rather than dry facts, it aimed to captivate young readers by blending traditional history with mythology, making complex events accessible and memorable. The book became a beloved classic, known for its living book status, widely used in homeschooling and educational settings for generations, and helped establish Marshall as a leading author for families choosing a historical spine for their family studies.

Throughout her career, Marshall authored numerous other works, including This Country of Ours, Scotland's Story, Our Empires Story: Stories of India and the Greater Colonies, History of France, History of Germany, and The Story of Europe. Marshall also dove into children's adaptations of the classics with titles like Stories of Beowulf Told to Children, Stories of Roland Told to the Children, Stories of Robin Hood Told to the Children, and English Literature for Boys and Girls.

She traveled extensively after 1904, visiting places such as Melbourne, Australia, California, and China; though she spent much of her later life in southern England, particularly Oxford and London. Marshall passed away suddenly on September 19, 1941, at the age of 74. Her legacy endures through Our Island Story and similar titles, which continue to introduce young audiences to world history in an imaginative and narrative-driven way.

In This Volume
  1. Paideia Introduction1:36
  2. The Stories of Albion and Brutus6:03
  3. The Coming of the Romans7:48
  4. The Romans Come Again4:09
  5. How Caligula Conquered Britain, and How Caractacus Refused to Be Conquered7:05
  6. The Story of a Warrior Queen7:42
  7. The Last of the Romans7:04
  8. The Story of St. Alban8:47
  9. Vortigern and King Constans7:47
  10. The Story of the Coming of Hengist and Horsa8:25
  11. Hengist's Treachery6:41
  12. The Story of How the Giants' Dance Was Brought to Britain9:28
  13. The Coming of Arthur5:19
  14. The Founding of the Round Table6:41
  15. The Story of Gregory and the Pretty Children10:23
  16. How King Alfred Learned to Read5:45
  17. King Alfred in the Cowherd's Cottage8:16
  18. More About Alfred the Great6:41
  19. Ethelred the Unready6:55
  20. How Edmund Ironside Fought for the Crown6:51
  21. Canute and the Waves4:38
  22. Edward the Confessor9:54
  23. Harold11:44
  24. The Battle of Stamford Bridge8:53
  25. The Battle of Hastings10:57
  26. William the Conqueror — The Story of Hereward the Wake9:42
  27. William the Conqueror — Death of the King6:39
  28. The Story of William the Red5:37
  29. Henry I — The Story of the 'White Ship'13:46
  30. The Story of King Stephen7:00
  31. Henry Plantagenet — The Story of Gilbert and Rohesia6:17
  32. Henry Plantagenet — The Story of Thomas à Becket11:21
  33. Henry Plantagenet — The Story of the Conquest of Ireland4:49
  34. The Story of Richard Cœur de Lion11:03
  35. Richard Cœur de Lion — The Story of How Blondel Found the King8:54
  36. John Lackland — The Story of Prince Arthur4:21
  37. John Lackland — The Story of the Great Charter12:52
  38. Henry III of Winchester — The Story of Hubert de Burgh7:49
  39. Henry III of Winchester — The Story of Simon de Montfort8:48
  40. Henry III — The Story of the Poisoned Dagger5:50
  41. Edward I — The Little War of Chalons4:56
  42. Edward I, the Lawgiver — The Story of the First Prince of Wales6:35
  43. Edward I — The Hammer of the Scots6:48
  44. Edward II of Caernarvon — The Story of King Robert the Bruce and Bohun8:21
  45. Edward II of Caernarvon — The Story of the Battle of Bannockburn4:43
  46. Edward III of Windsor — The Story of the Battle of Sluys5:16
  47. Edward III of Windsor — The Story of the Battle of Crecy11:29
  48. Edward III of Windsor — The Story of the Siege of Calais9:00
  49. Edward III of Windsor — The Story of the Battle of Poitiers6:36
  50. Richard II of Bordeaux — The Story of Wat Tyler's Rebellion12:29
  51. How King Richard II Lost His Throne4:21
  52. Henry IV of Bolingbroke — The Story of the Battle of Shrewsbury6:39
  53. Henry IV of Bolingbroke — The Story of How Prince Hal Was Sent to Prison4:18
  54. Henry V of Monmouth — The Story of the Battle of Agincourt7:37
  55. Henry VI of Windsor — The Story of the Maid of Orleans10:11
  56. Henry VI of Windsor — The Red Rose and the White10:13
  57. Edward IV — The Story of Queen Margaret and the Robbers5:16
  58. Edward IV — The Story of the Kingmaker7:59
  59. Edward V — The Story of the King Who Was Never Crowned8:59
  60. Richard III — The Story of the Two Little Princes in the Tower5:18
  61. Henry VII — The Story of a Make-Believe Prince6:45
  62. Henry VII — The Story of Another Make-Believe Prince9:38
  63. Henry VIII — The Story of the Field of the Cloth of Gold11:07
  64. Henry VIII — How the King Became the Defender of the Faith and How the Great Cardinal Died9:43
  65. Henry VIII — The Story of the King's Six Wives7:01
  66. Edward VI — The Story of a Boy King8:44
  67. The Story of Lady Jane Grey7:02
  68. Mary I — How the Princess Elizabeth Became a Prisoner7:27
  69. Mary I — How a Candle Was Lit in England Which Has Never Been Put Out4:11
  70. Elizabeth — How the Imprisoned Princess Became a Queen5:12
  71. Elizabeth — The Story of a Most Unhappy Queen7:26
  72. Elizabeth — The Story of How England Was Saved from the Spaniards7:11
  73. Elizabeth — The Story of Sir Walter Raleigh6:44
  74. Elizabeth — The Story of the Queen's Favourite9:12
  75. James VI of Scotland, I of England — The Story of Guy Fawkes8:47
  76. James VI of Scotland, I of England — The Story of the 'Mayflower'8:14
  77. Charles I — How a Woman Struck a Blow for Freedom7:04
  78. Charles I — The Story of How the King and the Parliament Quarrelled and at Last Fought8:15
  79. Charles I — The Story of How the King Was Brought to His Death5:41
  80. The Commonwealth — The Adventures of a Prince8:24
  81. The Commonwealth — The Lord Protector6:34
  82. Charles II — How the King Came to His Own, and How Death Walked in the Streets of London8:51
  83. Charles II — The Story of How London Was Burned7:26
  84. James II of England and VII of Scotland — The Fiery Cross5:55
  85. James II of England and VII of Scotland — The Story of King Monmouth3:06
  86. James II of England and VII of Scotland — The Story of the Seven Bishops7:14
  87. James II of England and VII of Scotland — William the Deliverer5:23
  88. William III and Mary II — The Story of Brave Londonderry4:34
  89. William III and Mary II — The Story of a Sad Day in a Highland Glen7:12
  90. Anne — How the Union Jack Was Made6:12
  91. George I — The Story of the Earl of Mar's Hunting-Party7:41
  92. George II — The Story of Bonnie Prince Charlie8:12
  93. George II — The Story of Flora Macdonald7:53
  94. George II — The Story of the Black Hole of Calcutta3:59
  95. George II — The Story of How Canada Was Won8:33
  96. George III — The Story of How America Was Lost9:21
  97. George III — A Story of the Spinning-Wheel7:44
  98. George III — England Expects That Every Man Will Do His Duty9:10
  99. George III — The Battle of Waterloo5:57
  100. George IV — The First Gentleman in Europe4:27
  101. William IV — The Story of Two Peaceful Victories7:40
  102. Victoria — The Girl Queen4:10
  103. Victoria — When Bread Was Dear5:08
  104. Victoria — Peace4:47
  105. Victoria — War11:35
  106. Victoria — The Land of Snow5:57
  107. Victoria — The Siege of Delhi8:26
  108. Victoria — The Pipes at Lucknow7:33
  109. Victoria — Under the Southern Cross5:39
  110. Victoria — From Cannibal to Christian6:14
  111. Victoria — Boer and Briton9:58
  112. Appendix - List of Kings5:52
  113. Paideia Closing0:34

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