Have heard some good things about this. Bought this from Clerkenwell Tales, an excellent new bookshop on Exmouth Market.

There's some very funny stuff in here. It's a fairly basic history of Britain, from the Romans to the Second World War, with jokes. Well, OK, maybe not jokes, but humourous observations based on the events being described. The author manages to see the funny in just about everything, and takes particular delight in poking fun at Britain's less competent rulers. Irreverent might be the best word. And if I could spell it, that's the word I'd use.