THE LAST 100 YEARS AND ALL THAT

An entertaining jaunt through 100 years of history

Author Al Murray Publisher Quercus Price £14.99 Released Out now

For those who know Al Murray as his Pub Landlord alter ego, The Last 100 Years And All That might come as something of a surprise. Yet Murray studied Modern History at Oxford in his pre-pub Landlord days, and his passion for the past means that this is more than just a celebrity stocking filler.

The title of the book is a nod to the 1930 classic 1066 And All That, and just as that book managed to balance irreverent humour with genuine historical insight, so too does Murray carry off that delicate balancing act. Billed as a “whistlestop tour of Britain since 1914”, the book actually concludes in 1999, while its scope spans the globe and reaches all the way to the Moon.

How much readers will enjoy this book may well depend on their response to Murray’s particular brand of humour, not to mention its conversational tone. Yet that tone feels just right and though there are moments of sheer absurdity – Benedict Cumberbatch creating the Enigma machine springs to mind – the history is solid. It’s not quite the collection of lesser–known vignettes that the jacket promises, though, and for every intriguing aside there are plenty of big ticket moments, from two World Wars to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

There is much to enjoy here and The Last

100 Years And All That will no doubt serve as a wonderful primer for casual readers who are looking to dip their toes into the history of the 20th century.