A Land of Liberty? England 1689 - 1727

New Oxford History of England #10

by Julian Hoppit

This book provides an authoritative general view of England between the Glorious Revolution and the death of George I and Isaac Newton. It is a very wide ranging survey, looking at politics, religion, economy, society, and culture. It also places England in its British, European, and world contexts. An annotated bibliography provides a guide through a vast minefield of secondary literature.

Genres: History, British Literature, Nonfiction, 18th Century, 17th Century

Paperback

First published June 22, 2000

Reviews

[lucy snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very helpful overview of this time period. it was nice and readable, but offered lots of detail too. i did skip the chapters on finance because i have absolutely no interest in that. but there were plenty of harley mentions, so i feel like i have a slightly better idea of his position in the early 18th century government than i had before. how was bro juggling all his book collecting with casually being impeached / basically running the government under anne? i really respect it

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished this. It didn't really take 5 months to read, I just got sidetracked in the middle. It's part of the
New Oxford History of England series , so the same general rules for who the audience is - college course textbook or equivalent. If you don't already know William and Mary, Queen Anne, Marlborough (Churchill) and Dryden, you will find this book heavy going.
Chapters alternate between political and social history. This is a history of England, not Britain, so the only discussion of Scotland, Ireland, America, etc. is from the view of how it affected England.

[C. B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this just to fill in a few blanks, and for that it was very good. That said, I didn't enjoy it as much as other entries in this series — but I suppose that's more a reflection of my love for nineteenth and twentieth century history (at the level of talking about politics, class, and economics, given that I love seventeenth and eighteenth century religious history).

[sube · Rating 4 out of 5]

In-depth history of the period, with a focus on the social & economic situation of England - while also not neglecting the political history. Wars are only covered in one chapter. Sadly a history of England, not the United Kingdom. Some faulty analysis with regards to the Glorious Revolution, but nonetheless an useful introduction in the period I've found.