Product Description

For many people the late eighteenth century was a period of political corruption, with the political world waiting for the triumph of reform. In this lucidly written study, now in a revised edition, John Derry shows that the traditional political system was more remarkable for its resilience than for its defects, and that it succeeded to an astonishing extent in meeting the challenges of war, the threat from the French Revolution, and the problems caused by unprecedented social and economic change. A vigorous narrative is combined with pungent analysis of the assumptions on which the practice of politics was based and the fashion in which politicians responded to the demands made of them.

Due weight is given to the element of continuity. The king continued to play a significant role in politics and no ministry could survive without the confidence of the crown and the support of the country gentlemen, and Pitt and Liverpool owed their success to their ability to appeal to these two powerful political forces. The importance of the French Revolution is not underplayed, but war is seen as a greater factor than ideology in bringing about a polarisation of opinion and the dominance of a conservatism which rested squarely upon traditional values. But trasnformation was also part of the story, and this study is fascinating in the manner in which it demonstrates the subtle blend of the old and the new which gave politics their unique flavour. The personalities of George III, Fox, Pitt and Liverpool are brought to life with deft and succinct characterisation in a style which will entertain as well as inform.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #749878 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 172 pages

About the Author
JOHN W. DERRY is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Newcastle.

Customer Reviews

Coalition,opposition, and political intrigue.
Coalition, opposition, and political intrigue John Derry has incorperated it all into this book. Derry has put the reader inside the British Parliament of the Eightennth century. The reader is transported back into time and given the opportunity to sit with the great and not so great political minds of England. The reader is given the platforms of the American and French Revolutions. Then the focus changes to that of all-out war with Napoleon and the threat of rebellion from within.
Derry has picked a broad and difficult topic, the politics of England during the Eightenth century. The author covers the subject in a chronological method. Starting with the Pittite Restoration and ending with the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Derry's approach of using detail; and lots of facts bog down the book at times. The use of more backround detail surrounding the events would be helpful to anyone without prior knowlege of British politics. The authors use of so many characters leads to some confusion at times throughout the book, however the topic is interesting and Derry gives the reader the feel for being at the Parliament during these debates.
Derry thesis of how the English government operated and with what success and it's longevity is stated in the introduction. The book is filled with facts that support Derry's argument. The use of this time period gave the author a lot of foriegn and domestic issues to use as examples.