Library Journal09/15/2013
UK freelance writer West uses the images on particular British stamps as starting points to talk about major events in the last 150-plus years of UK history. He begins with the first paper-adhering stamp used by senders (as opposed to the earlier system in which recipients paid postage due), the "Penny Black" of 1840, and ends with recent Olympics commemoratives. The results include some interesting facts for newbies but few surprises for those at all familiar with British history. For instance, West's system results in only one chapter about the entire history of Britain's many colonies. He admits that when one tries to cram so much history into a short book, things are bound to be left out. The postage stamp device is fun but isn't carried as far as stamp hobbyists may expect; despite the stamp images, there is no detailed analysis of how variations in stamp ink, printing, or paper relate to historical advances in British industrial or scientific pursuits.
