ISLAND STORIES An Unconventional History of Britain

Philip Stevens admirably narrates this often acerbic, quite witty, and always trenchant audiobook. His smooth style amplifies the accomplishment of Reynolds's revisionist text, which argues that no matter what timeframe one examines--the past, present, or future--Brexit has put the archipelago of islands that is the UK in a muddle. He almost gleefully handles the ironic tone that pervades this takedown of the British penchant for exceptionalism in their histories and their longing for the old-time maritime days. Stevens's high British intonation shapes the author's edgy toppling of myth and mythmakers by examining Churchill's racist attitude toward the Commonwealth and Theresa May's mishandling of Brexit and by dismissing Boris Johnson as more entertainer than leader. Reynolds asserts that Great Britain needs to look at its history through new lenses. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2020]