R. H. Hilton (1916–2002)

conflict is part of existence and that nothing is gained without a struggle" and so ends the final sentence of this excellent book

The first part of the book looks at mass movements (revolts) of peasant societies in 14th century Europe. It does a good job of describing the organisation of peasant societies before going on to examine similarities in the major peasant revolts: The Jacquerie in Northern France 1358, Maritime Flanders 1323-28, Tuchin bandits in the Auvergne 1363-84 and later the show more wars of Ramensas in catelonia in 1460-1480. These revolts were all unsuccessful, but serve to place in context the Great Uprising in South East England of 1381.

The second part examines the 1381 uprising, initially by providing a brief narrative history and then going on to discuss the causes, organisation, aims and effects of the revolt. Hilton does a good job in dispelling some of the myths that have grown up around the retelling of this period of history. Myths that were perpetrated by the chroniclers of the period who were all aghast at the events taking place. After all leading members of the government were summarily executed by the rebels as were lawyers and many others connected with the judiciary. They perpetrated the myth of a peasant rabble out of control when it could more accurately be described as an uprising by the third estate against injustices caused by excessive taxation and erosion of hard won rights.

Hilton believes that rural societies in the late middle ages were characterised by conflict between Lords and peasants. These were exacerbated in England due to economic pressures caused by plague and an unsuccessful and expensive war in France. The rebel leaders Wat Tyler, John Ball, and Jack Straw demanded a complete social revolution and believed they had the support of the king. Their misunderstanding of the monarchy and the entrenched positions of the nobility, the clergy and the new merchant class were much too powerful to allow the uprising to have any chance of success.

Hilton's analysis of the uprising is considered and thoughtful. The writing is lively and he puts forward his ideas and theories with due reference to other historians. show less

Competent though Marxist approach; rather a pioneer before the revolt began to get much scholarly attention