Product Description

The sixth of nine volumes in the major Penguin History of Britain series, A Monarchy Transformed narrates the tempestuous political events of the Stuart dynasty. It charts the reigns of six monarchs, and the course of two revolutions as well as religious upheavals that shook the beliefs of seventeenth-century Britons to the core.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78863 in Books
• Published on: 1997-08-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

About the Author
MARK KISHLANSKY is Professor of English and European History at Harvard University. He is a well known author in his field, and lives in the USA.

Customer Reviews

Good introduction to the politics of a tumultuous era
This book is primarily a political and religious history of the period; British society during this period is relegated to a single chapter, while cultural history and the great scientific discoveries merit only the briefest of mention in the prologue. In a different context this might not matter so much, but for a volume in a series that purports to provide an introduction to the history of the British Isles the decision to focus on just a single aspect of that history is disappointing.

Nevertheless, what this book does it does well. Kishlansky offers a clear and readable narrative of a century wracked with political and religious turmoil, something that in itself is no small achievement. It is also free of the numerous historiographical disputes, and as such is a safe book for readers wanting an introduction to the Stuarts' reign. The inclusion of Scotland and Ireland into the picture is especially welcome, as it gives a fuller understanding of the era than was available in the traditionally England-specific studies. As a result, it provides a good starting point for understanding how the government of Great Britain developed during the tumultuous decades of the seventeenth century, one that saw the permanent redefinition of the role of the crown in British political life.

The evolution of the constitutional monarchy in Britain
Mr. Kishlansky provides a concise narrative of the events that characterized seventeenth century English history and that resulted in the modern British parliament and constitutional monarchy. His attention to detail shows his thorough knowledge of the history of Great Britain and most importantly, shows how the rise of the modern parliamentary system & constitutional monarchy at century's end provided mechanisms to many of the legal questions which gave rise to the various revolutions and civil wars that characterized the century's previous history. An excellent book for anyone interested in British history or who wishes to know where the founding fathers of the American revolution obtained so many of the ideas that characterize the American constitution and its emphasis on the paramountcy of the rule of law.

Beautifully balanced overview of the century
This is an enjoyable book to read. Kishlansky's depth of knowledge is evidenced in the comprehensive annotated reading list he provides, a practice I wish more historians would emulate. This is a general history of a century and his sources are secondary as you would expect, but at times there is a lack of depth of analysis, in particular at the time of the 1688 revolution. When parliament and the English people had bent so far backwards to accommodate Charles II in his skilful efforts to prepare the country for the succession of his Catholic brother, why exactly did they turn on James so abruptly? OK, James tried to push Catholicism down everyone's throat in the last year or so, but Kishlansky tells us nothing about how the English people reacted to this, other than the broad facts of William's invasion. He has of course earlier in the book alluded to the English strength of feeling about Protestantism, but that is about all we get. In general Kishlansky you feel slightly disapproves of chaps that rock the boat. But then he's an American and no doubt has his own perspective.

What I really like about this book is the clarity of it's exposition of a series of immensely complex situations, ie the accession of a Scottish monarch, James I to a country which has just found a coherent and stable English identity; the principled and conscientiousness defense of the divine right of kings by Charles I, the brilliance of Cromwell, the incredible successions of shifts and changes under Charles II as he tries to make the best of what with hindsight was a hopeless problem. He also puts the heroics of William and in some ways the unsung brilliance of Anne's adaptability into good perspective. As I say I am less convinced by his portrayal of James II, or more perhaps the reaction of the English to him.

But Kishlansky in general does a great job of bringing all the different factors in situations into balance, religion, finance, ancestry and so on.

I also feel he does more than justice to very complex situations over the century in Scotland and Ireland. In many histories of Britain you feel the historian is saying `Oh, I guess we better put in a bit about Ireland (or Scotland)'. However here I do not feel (contrary to one reviewer on Amazon.com) that they are given short shrift. If there is a sense in which they are treated with contempt that is down to the Stuarts, not Kishlansky, and as he points out, at least in Scotland that was to some extent put right.