The Whig Supremacy, 1714 - 1760

Oxford History of England #11

by Basil Williams, C. H. Stuart (Primary Contributor)

Second Edition.Hardback, ex-library, with usual stamps and markings, in fair all round condition, suitable as a study copy.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, 18th Century

Hardcover

First published December 31, 1962

About the author

The son of a barrister, Basil Williams was educated at Marlborough College and at New College, Oxford, where he read classics. After military service and a number of administrative positions in South Africa, he served as Kingsford Professor of History at McGill University in 1921, and then professor of History at Edinburgh University from 1925 to 1937 when he retired. In 1935 he was elected a fellow of the British Academy.

Reviews

[Lauren Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many histories I’ve read during the pandemic, I didn’t give this my full attention. I jumped between books, and though I always do that, it seems I’m more easily distracted by it now.

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a great lover of history books and am not afraid to read something aimed at the graduate/post graduate level, however the writing style of this book was so incredibly dense I found it extremely difficult to read. The book pre-supposes a level of knowledge of the period already whilst disecting it in great detail, so don't pick this up expecting to be given an overview of the time. This isn't bad in itself, of course, but means that it sits firmly in the reading list of an academic or student of the period rather than as something a casual history buff should pick up.

[Alex Helling · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

“George I landed at Greenwich on 18 September 1714, accompanied by Mme Kielmansegge and a whole train of courtiers, including his private secretary Robethon and his two chief Hanoverian ministers, Bernstorff and Goertz. Even before he arrived the new king had indicated in what political quarter he reposed his trust.” (p152-3)

Basil Williams’ The Whig Supremacy 1714-1760 covers Britain in the first half of the eighteenth century. This is the period in which Britain is becoming a great power. The first few years are ones of peace. A peace which was shattered in 1739. Britain was involved in the continental wars of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War, but the country made its gains much further afield in the colonies. By the end of the Seven Years War Britain’s first empire had reached its height. It is also a dynamic period in society and parts of the arts and there are the first sparks of the industrial revolution.

Pros:
Good overview
Narrative is pretty decent

Cons
Old
Some omissions
Can be a bit list like

As with many of this type of book, and the others in the series, it provides a good overview of the period. It is quite large and detailed. It covers most subjects you are likely to want to know about; Central and local government, religion, society and economics, the military, the three kingdoms, the colonies, science, the arts, and literature, in addition to its political narrative. It is a good generalist baseline.

The narrative elements telling of the events of the half century covered are reasonably told. Clear, though it is sometimes a bit quirky. It isn't meant to be a zingy gripping narrative, but to get the basics across concisely. But unfortunately the other non narrative parts are quite hard going.

It is a rather old book, published in 1962, which might explain some oddities. The personal form is now a bit odd - when talking about Great Britain Williams often says “our” as if all readers are going to be British. Along similar lines things that are essentially (quite nationalist) opinion work their way into the text such as “But the king and queen [of Spain] abated none of the arrogance, and in 1727 opened the trenches against Gibraltar." (p200) With it being rather unclear why this is a particular sign of arrogance - and gives the odd and surely untrue impression that the King and Queen are out there digging trenches! But that said inserting opinion can spice things up, just when it is slipped into a narrative without the author discussing the opinion and what is behind it the reader needs to be mindful of it.

There are also some odd decisions, minor and major. On the minor side we are told that “The queen was also relieved of another enemy by Commodore Martin’s threat, watch in hand, of a bombardment of Naples” (p240). We are then told in a footnote that while the watch has been mentioned by a previous history Martin’s own account makes no mention. So why keep in something that is likely inaccurate? Also minor is several mentions that Frederick the Great aimed to free “Germany from foreign tutelage” which is no doubt a 19th/early 20th C nationalist invention (and the same for Savoy and Italy, p266). On the more major side is the lack of engagement with the issue of slavery.

Unlike the narrative parts the arts and sciences section is very list-like, often giving just a few lines to an individual before moving on, barely enough space to tell us what he is being mentioned for, let alone enough to add colour or show the value of his works. I can understand that there isn't really enough space to pack it in but if the author is going to provide so little detail it might have made more sense either to ditch it entirely, or to just describe the trends and innovations rather than individuals.

So a passable read if looking for an overview of Britain in the early eighteenth century, but I would be surprised if you couldn't find something equally good but more up to date.

[Jack Wiegold · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolutely comprehensive study of the Whig machinations and infighting from the period told largely from an inside perspective. Light historical reading this is not--indeed, while the first ~200 pages make up a wonderful account of the general social environment of the early-mid Georgian period the latter half is sometimes too entrenched in numbers, names, lengthy descriptions of warfare and non-chronological tangents for its own good. A majority of the latter, especially in its non-linearity, requires a decent amount of foreknowledge that the text is sometimes reticent to provide and it comes with no general chronology despite an excellent index. The chapters on science and the arts especially feel like an afterthought with figureheads like Johnson and Swift receiving due attention that pales in comparison to other towering cultural figures like Handel who get perhaps a couple of paragraphs. In some sense this is more suitable as a reference work, given its stringent detail, than a cover-to-cover read. For a slightly more condensed and congenial version of the political events, however biased he may be, Macaulay's short volume would make a good companion to this.