This new book from Longman Pearson is a very welcome addition to the range of textbooks for KS3 National Curriculum History. You get the feeling that the writers have actually taught the lessons which emerge from this book, and that students have really done the interesting and occasionally slightly mad things suggested in the activities. It is a friendly, inviting, intriguing book with some wonderful detail, the more rewarding as you delve more deeply. This book is ‘right on’ in terms of all the latest thinking in history about teaching and learning. We have excellent, structured activities which build up across themes and topics. We also have a ‘Link’ feature at strategic points in the book, which attempts to tie various elements of the period into a wider historical context. I would have liked to see this developed a bit more than the two pages devoted to it, as I think the feature is well done and deserves more space. On the other hand, you cannot do everything. Some teachers may look at the size of the book and say that they would have to change their schemes to accommodate its depth and rich content. My advice to those teachers is to consider changing at least bits of your schemes to accommodate its depth and rich content. At a time when we are undeniably pushed and squeezed it is great to see a book which, although bang up to date in its methodology, really relies on quality content – good stories, great images, interesting personalities. I really liked the use of photographs from the reconstructed early medieval community at Mountfichet Castle – a welcome change from all those line drawings of motte and bailey castles. I thoroughly enjoyed the story telling approach to the section ‘1385: A peasant remembers’. I would say, however, that the jewel in the crown is the excellent section on the Wars of the Roses – a subject many KS3 schemes never really touch on. The depth of knowledge here is impressive and few Year 7s will not be excited by the possibilities of the main task, which involves storyboarding a documentary from some excellent, highly visual source material. I would be very surprised if the publishers are not following this book up with a CD ROM of the visuals if nothing else, not least before all those lucky teachers with whiteboards start projecting said visuals and start teaching just like the switched on teachers who have written this excellent book.