Charles Dickens, Child's History of England, 3 vols. (London, 1851-54).
As the title shows, this is a history of England for children. It was originally published in a weekly magazine called Household Words, while it was also published as a three-volume book. Dickens writes in one of his letters to his friend that he was writing this book for his own son to prevent him from getting hold of any conservatism or High Church notions (Hartley, p. 118).
Since it is intended primarily for children, the book is quite easy to read with lots of interesting episodes (though they may not always be historically accurate). His accounts are generally quite frank and straightforward, which makes it attractive too.
For instance, Dickens highly praises King Alfred the Great (reigned 871-899; but in those days he was considered to have died in 901), and believes that the great 'Saxon blood' inherited by the English people underlies their success in the world, writing as follows:
'under the GREAT ALFRED, all the best points of the English-Saxon character were first encouraged, and in him first shown. It has been the greatest character among the nations of the earth. Wherever the descendants of the Saxon race have gone, have sailed, or otherwise made their way, even to the remotest regions of the world, they have been patient, persevering, never to be broken in spirit, never to be turned aside from enterprises on which they have resolved. In Europe, Asia, Africa, America, the whole world over; in the desert, in the forest, on the sea; scorched by a burning sun, or frozen by ice that never melts; the Saxon blood remains unchanged. Wheresoever that race goes, there, law, and industry, and safety for life and property, and all the great results of steady perseverance, are certain to arise' (vol. 1, pp. 35-36).
On the other hand, he is very critical about William the Conqueror (reigned 1066-87):
'The moment he was dead, his physicians, priests, and nobles, not knowing what contest for the throne might now take place, or what might happen in it, hastened away, each man for himself and his own property; the mercenary servants of the court began to rob and plunder; the body of the King, in the indecent strife, was rolled from the bed, and lay, alone, for hours, upon the ground. O Conqueror, of whom so many great names are proud now, of whom so many great names thought nothing then, it were better to have conquered one true heart, than England!' (vol. 1, p. 95).
My copy in a nice binding used to belong to someone called J. A. Burnham Jr, and has his bookplate.
For Dickens's letters, see Jenny Hartley, The Selected Letters of Charles Dickens (Oxford, 2012).