From murderous vicars and hidden chapels to wily smugglers and ferocious dragons, The Anthology of English Folk Tales gathers together stories from across the country in one enthralling volume.
The rich collection celebrates the distinct character of England’s different customs and beliefs and offers a glimpse into how our ancestors lived and thought.
Drawn from the popular Folk Tales series published by The History Press, this treasure trove of tales has been penned by various talented storytellers including Taffy Thomas MBE, Hugh Lupton and Helen East.
What we thought of the book
Reading this collection was like stepping into a time machine, stopping off in different eras and counties across England. One minute I was in Gloucestershire learning about ‘The Secret of the Gaunts’ Chapel’, and the next in Wiltshire, discovering how a pair of crafty smugglers pulled the wool over the eyes of an exciseman.
The beauty of this book is that each story is so different, probably because the tales are by different storytellers. Each one has a skill for telling a good yarn, with wit and relish.
Often dark and gruesome, these stories reflect the different periods of history, and show that life was far from easy. In fact, it could be downright unpleasant.
But for me, learning about the reality of the past is what engages me and keeps me captivated.
One of my favourite tales is ‘The Lyminster Knucker’ by Michael O’Leary. In the story a ‘knucker’ (dragon) emerges from his pond after being disturbed and wreaks havoc by devouring children and livestock. This behaviour, understandably, didn’t make him very popular.
Another memorable yarn features a giant with a fearsome temper.
This book has it all: giants, dragons, fairies, murder etc.
And despite the often dark content and poignancy of many of the stories, there’s plenty of humour, too.
The language throughout is colourful, wonderfully evoking the time and place of each tale. Plus, to add to the drama, you’ll find lots of clever twists.
These stories are perfect for anyone who enjoys a good yarn. What’s more, their messages about right and wrong, and how to treat others, are as relevant today as they were in the past.
How much is the book and how can you buy it
The paperback is £8.75. You can buy a copy here.
About the authors
The authors are all professional storytellers and have previously published a volume of folk tales for The History Press. Contributors to The Anthology of English Folk Tales include Taffy Thomas MBE, who was Britain’s first storytelling laureate, and Hugh Lupton, a prominent figure in this field.
About the book
Title: The Anthology of English Folk Tales.
Publisher: The History Press.
ISBN: 9780750990042.
Pages: 192
Review by: Colette Warbrook
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*We were given a copy of the book in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.
26 comments
English Folk tales!!! That is something i would definitely enjoy and I am now looking for a good read. This is great. Thank you.
Your welcome Chad, I enjoyed reading it for sure
With less than 10 pound you get to read about stories from across the country, what an amazing catch. I love to learn about England’s different customs and beliefs and about their ancestors too. I been to the UK and was really into the English culture.
Absolutely! If you are a folk tale buff and love anything to do with stories you would love this!
Sounds like a great book! I love your yellow jacket and he photos are so pretty! I’m going to share this book review with my friend she loves Folk stories!
Thank you for your lovely compliment, I took the book with me when I went to London and it was a fab read
With so many different historical time covered, this sounds like the type of anthology I could never get bored with. I love anthologies for air travel.
Ahh interesting …this was of folk tales and it was lovely learning about it
I like reading old folk tales like these. It reminds me of the stories I used to like as a child. Thanks for the recommendation!
Your welcome, thanks for stopping by
Love how you posted the different places you read this! So clever
Thank you. I went for a holiday to London and brought the book along with me to read
This such an interesting book to check and I like how you gave us a glimpse of what we can expect from it. Thank you so much for this awesome review!
Your welcome, so glad you enjoyed it
I have never heard of anthology of English books before but it seems like a good read. I think I can do a hundred and ninety-two pages. I’ll have to check it out.
Hope you do, it is an interesting book
This looks like a really good read! Perfect for summer! Oh and I love the yellow on you!
Thank you for your compliments
Thank you for the review . I am looking for some books to add to my library for my summer vacation
This book would be perfect for you
I would absolutely love to read this book, the book cover art is so pretty too. I am always excited to discover new reads. Great post.
It is, its so informative and the stories in it are lovely to read as well
I always love reading these sort of books that consists of various tales by various authors. Your review is truly good. I will check out this book.
Thank you, so glad you think so. Hope you get the chance to get a copy of the book
i’d love to have this n my book collection! I gotta get a copy soon
Hope you do, its a fab book with lots of interesting facts in it