BUDE author Paul Wreyford has written a ‘little’ book on a very big subject.

The Little History of Cornwall, which has just been published, is aimed at residents who would like to know more about the place they live, but do not necessarily have the desire or time to wade through a more weighty volume on the subject.

Paul said: “I love history, but even I find some history books dull. Many people are put off discovering more about their county because there are so few reader-friendly history books out there. I hope my book will plug that gap.”

Paul admits that his book is not the first covering the complete history of Cornwall, but believes his book approaches the subject differently than those already out there.

He said: “I think one of the problems is that some history books go into too much detail. The average person may want to know something, but not everything. My book offers the reader the facts and stories in bite-size chunks, so that it is easy to read. It’s aimed at curious residents and not necessarily historians —and definitely not academics.”

Compiling a history of Cornwall from start to finish was no little matter, despite the title.

Paul said: “When we say ‘little’, we just mean the size of the book. It’s certainly not referring to the length of the book (it’s 50,000 words) or its subject matter. In fact, the history of Cornwall is unlike the history of any other county in England. Many still see Cornwall as being a foreign country, and that fact is certainly reflected in its history.”

The book takes the reader from pre-Christ to the present day, with all the important events in between. Paul said the book allowed the reader to ‘dip in and out’ if people did not want to read it from start to finish.

“It’s a coffee-table history book,” he said. “You can just turn to a particular era and read a story from it before ‘time travelling’ to another.”

Paul has spent most of his working life as a newspaper journalist, but now spends more time writing books. This is his seventh to be published.

He jumped at the chance to pen a complete history of Cornwall when his publisher said they wanted one for the duchy.

He said: “We live in an amazing county – not just because of its landscape – but because of its uniqueness. I just love the independent spirit of its people, which is reflected throughout its history.”

And Paul said he hoped the book would dispel the myth that Cornwall was the backwater of England, an image he believed that even people moving to the county sometimes had of the place.

Paul said: “The Cornish have been at the heart of it from the beginning — they have led rebellions; our famous steam engineers fuelled the Industrial Revolution, and the county has been at the forefront of ‘green’ innovation — from the first windfarm, to building the largest greenhouse in the world.”

More unusual stories in the book include a doctor who was literally forced to save the life of Queen Elizabeth; a famous explorer who discovered an exotic island without leaving his ship, and a man who may have beaten the Wright Brothers to being the first to build and fly an aircraft.

Paul said: “Yes, the book has all the must-know bits, but even those with a good knowledge of the history of the county will discover something new.”

Paul added that he was a great believer in making history fun. While the book is informative and educational, its light tone and witty headings help make it more accessible to those who would not necessarily pick up a history book.

Paul has spent the past two summers working for English Heritage at Tintagel Castle as part of the Hands on History team, encouraging children to learn more about history through drama, games and medieval sword drills.

He said: “Many foreign visitors, particularly Americans, say they come to our country because of its history, and yet sometimes we ourselves don’t appreciate what we have on our own doorstep.

“It always amazes me that some people have no idea that an important person once lived in their village, or that a momentous battle took place just down the road. In writing this book, I hope people will have fun learning a bit more about what went on where they live.”