| Our Island Story | |
| Author: | H. E. Marshall |
| Illustrator: | A. S. Forrest |
| Cover Artist: | A. S. Forrest |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Subject: | History |
| Genre: | Reference |
| Publisher: | Civitas/Galore Park |
| Pub Date: | 1905 |
| Media Type: | Print (hardback) |
| Pages: | 512 pp |
| Isbn: | 1-902984-74-9 |
| Oclc: | 63134934 |
| Followed By: | Scotland's Story |
Our Island Story: A Child's History of England, published abroad as An Island Story: A Child's History of England, is a book by the British author Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall, first published in 1905 in London by T. C. & E. C. Jack.[1]
It covers the history of England from the time of the Roman occupation until Queen Victoria's death, using a mixture of traditional history and mythology to explain the story of British history in a way accessible to younger readers.[2]
The book depicts the union of England and Scotland as a desirable and inevitable event,[3] and praises rebels and the collective will of the common people in opposing tyrants, including kings like John and Charles I.
The book inspired the parody 1066 and All That.[4]
Prime Minister David Cameron chose Our Island Story when asked to select his favourite childhood book in October 2010:
Richard Chartres in a lecture delivered at Gresham College mentioned his fondness for this text, relating it to an approach to English history rooted in the works of John Foxe and John Milton.[5]