England in the Age of Wycliffe

by George Macaulay Trevelyan

""England In The Age Of Wycliffe"" is a historical book written by George Macaulay Trevelyan. The book explores the social, political, and religious climate of England during the 14th century, specifically during the time of John Wycliffe, an English theologian and religious reformer. Trevelyan delves into the background of the period, including the Black Death and the Hundred Years' War, and how these events shaped the society and culture of England at the time. The book also examines the growing tensions between the Church and the state, as well as the rise of the Lollard movement, which sought to reform the Church and promote religious freedom. Through a combination of primary sources and historical analysis, Trevelyan provides a comprehensive and insightful look into a pivotal moment in English history.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: History, Religion

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1899

About the author

George Macaulay Trevelyan, OM, CBE, FRS, FBA, was an English historian. Trevelyan was the third son of Sir George Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet, and great-nephew of Thomas Babington Macaulay, whose staunch liberal Whig principles he espoused in accessible works of literate narrative avoiding a consciously dispassionate analysis, that became old-fashioned during his long and productive career. Contemporary E. H. Carr considered Trevelyan to be one of the last historians of the Whig tradition.

Many of his writings promoted the Whig Party, an important aspect of British politics from the 1600s to the mid-1800s, and of its successor, the Liberal Party. Whigs and Liberals believed the common people had a more positive effect on history than did royalty and that democratic government would bring about steady social progress.

Trevelyan's history is engaged and partisan. Of his Garibaldi trilogy, "reeking with bias", he remarked in his essay "Bias in History", "Without bias, I should never have written them at all. For I was moved to write them by a poetical sympathy with the passions of the Italian patriots of the period, which I retrospectively shared."

Reviews

[Christina Eastwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent read. Although modern research may contribute more information this is still an excellent introduction to the ear. Trevelyan's majestic prose is good enough to read aloud and he holds your attention throughout.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Trevelyan's book confirms what Barbara Tuchman (later) had to say about of the awfulness of the 14th century. His book differs from her's in f0cusing just on England in the years 1368 and after, and on the reforms sought by John Wycliffe. The author makes it abundantly clear that Wycliffe's importance is not in anything achieved in his lifetime. The style of writing seems a little bit old fashioned, but it is still very readable. This is certainly a book worth reading.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bingo. Origins of the so-called "American Dream."