‘Praise the Lord for making her, and her for all she made!’

Rudyard Kipling

‘The finest writer in the English language.’

Philippa Gregory

Book blurb

Jane Austen, one of the nation’s most beloved authors, whose face adorns our currency, surely needs no introduction, but while many are familiar with her groundbreaking novels, few have come across her short burlesque work The History of England.

Billed a history ‘from the reign of Henry IV to Charles I by a partial, prejudiced and ignorant historian’, The History of England pokes fun at the overly verbose and grand histories of Austen’s day. Written when she was just fifteen, this is a comic tour de force that shows Austen’s wit developing into the satirical prowess she is remembered for.

My thoughts

In the late 17th century and early 18th century children from wealthy upper and middle class families would often be taught at home to read and write possibly with arithmetic. Academic education was aimed primarily towards male children from these families with their female relatives being taught subjects such as sewing, needlework, drawing, and music that would enable them to run a household, manage servants and be good wives and mothers.

When Austen was 7, she and Cassandra were sent to Oxford to attend school but sometime later the girls came down with typhus and were brought back to Steventon. When Austen was 9 they attended the Abbey School in Reading. Shortly after enrolling however, the girls were withdrawn, because their father could no longer afford tuition. Though this completed their formal schooling, the girls continued their education at home, with the help of their brothers and father.
The Austens often read aloud to one another. This evolved into short theatrical performances that Austen had a hand in composing. The Austen family plays were performed in their barn and were attended by family members and a few close neighbors. By the age of 12, Austen was writing for herself as well as for her family. She wrote poems and several parodies of the dramatic fiction that was popular at the time, such as History of England and Love and Freindship [sic]. She then compiled and titled them: Volume the First, Volume the Second and Volume the Third.

Jane Austen Biography, Chicago Public Library

So Jane Austen had some formal education in her early years but was mainly self taught alongside the tuition from her father and brothers. That she would become an author was therefore quite an accomplishment, that she would become a beloved author after her death and for so many years is a remarkable achievement. Her early writings, her juvenilia, give a wonderful insight into how good her writing actually was at that time and how it further developed into the refined and mature author in adulthood.

‘Spirited, easy, full of fun, verging with freedom upon sheer nonsense…At fifteen she had few illusions about other people and none about herself’

Virginia Woolf

The History of England acknowledged by Austen herself in the title that it was written ‘by a partial, prejudiced and ignorant historian’ confirmed as Virginia Woolf commented (see above) that Austen was a grounded young adult and expressed her personal opinion and feelings towards the British royals in a spirited and fun way. This history covers the reign of Henry IV to the death of Charles I. Each royal has a portrait sketch heading their section except for Edward V and the full complement are included as end papers (see below) which were drawn by the author’s sister, Cassandra. There is a preface by G K Chesterton and a useful notes section.

Austen’s pro York and anti Elizabeth (the first!) comments raised many a chuckle from this reader, a Lancastrian by birth, who has generally admired Elizabeth I but can appreciate Austen’s point of view. These sections are not delivered with the same authoritative, if rather verbose, histories of the day. With her youthful verve she adamantly opposes any person who might be considered an opponent to those, such as the Earl of Essex, to whom she took a liking. She quite clearly and deliberately chooses to deliver a history that comes from her personal passions with her delightful sense of humour that makes this a wonderfully entertaining, interesting and engaging read.

Ultimately, as the mature author she became her use of irony, along with her realism, humour and social commentary would – quite rightly in my opinion – bring praise, admiration and the respect of critics, scholars and readers alike.

I love these small but mighty books that Renard Press publishes and The History of England is no exception. They often like The History of England have forewords and notes to aid the reader. They can be a great way, at an affordable price, to introduce readers to an author they don’t know. For those readers that do know an author they are often some of the less well known writings they may not have had an opportunity to read previously.

Book: Purchased

Further reading

Oxford Open Learning Article – Women’s Education In Britain: A Brief History by: Candice West October 7, 2022

Jane Austen House: Jane Austen – a life, plus other information

Jane Austen Society of North America – brief biography and other information

janeausten.org: Jane Austen Biography – Life and Times of English Author Jane Austen, plus other information

Chicago Public Library: biography plus other information

Jane Austen Literacy Foundation: What if Jane Austen couldn’t read or write?

Hampshire’s Cultural Trust: Jane Austen 200 | About Jane Austen

Britannica: Jane Austen, English novelist – Written by Brian C. Southam|last updated 15 September 2025 | Fact-checked by the editors of Encyclopædia Britannica

Education in the U.K.: Timeline a chronological list of
events, reports, education acts, official papers and other publications | Education in the UK: a history – Derek Gillard (first published June 1998, this version published May 2018)

20 Books of Summer 2025

I have read The History of England as part of my 20 books of summer challenge.

My list of books being read for this challenge. 

20 books of summer has new hosts Emma of Words and Peace and you can read all about it on Annabel’s blog including all the rules and sign up. It’s a challenge I’ve always enjoyed and am sure I’ll continue to do so. 

The challenge takes place between 1 June and 31 August 2025

Information

Published: Renard Press | 21 December 2022 | Paperback £5 | ISBN: 9781804470244 | 52pp

Buy: Renard Press

Author

Jane Austen (1775–1817) is one of the best known English novelists of all time. She is best remembered today for her novels critiquing the upper classes, in particular Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma. Like most female writers of her era, Austen published her works anonymously, and it was only after her death that her name was set to her works.

Books

Sense & Sensibility | Pride & Prejudice | Mansfield Park | Emma | Persuasion | Northanger Abbey

Other works

Lady Susan (unfinished) | Jack and Alice | Henry and Eliza |
  Love and Friendship | The History of England | Catharine; or, The Bower | Evelyn