1688: The First Modern Revolution by Steven C. A. Pincus

Description

For two hundred years historians have viewed England's Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689 as an un-revolutionary revolution-bloodless, consensual, aristocratic, and above all, sensible. In this brilliant new interpretation Steve Pincus refutes this traditional view.By expanding the interpretive lens to include a broader geographical and chronological frame, Pincus demonstrates that England's revolution was a European event, that it took place over a number of years, not months, and that it had show more repercussions in India, North America, the West Indies, and throughout continental Europe. His rich historical narrative, based on masses of new archival research, traces the transformation of English foreign policy, religious culture, and political economy that, he argues, was the intended consequence of the revolutionaries of 1688-1689.James II developed a modernization program that emphasized centralized control, repression of dissidents, and territorial empire. The revolutionaries, by contrast, took advantage of the new economic possibilities to create a bureaucratic but participatory state. The postrevolutionary English state emphasized its ideological break with the past and envisioned itself as continuing to evolve. All of this, argues Pincus, makes the Glorious Revolution-not the French Revolution-the first truly modern revolution. This wide-ranging book reenvisions the nature of the Glorious Revolution and of revolutions in general, the causes and consequences of commercialization, the nature of liberalism, and ultimately the origins and contours of modernity itself. show less

Recommendations

An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire, 54 BC–AD 409 by David Mattingly

An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire, 54 BC–AD 409

David Mattingly

A Monarchy Transformed: Britain, 1603-1714 by Mark Kishlansky

A Monarchy Transformed: Britain, 1603-1714

Mark Kishlansky

The Century of Revolution, 1603-1714 by Christopher Hill

The Century of Revolution, 1603-1714

Christopher Hill

Revolution: The Great Crisis of the British Monarchy, 1685-1720 by Tim Harris

Revolution: The Great Crisis of the British Monarchy, 1685-1720

Tim Harris

England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings, 1075-1225 by Robert Bartlett

England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings, 1075-1225

Robert Bartlett

Shaping the Nation: England, 1360-1461 by Gerald Harriss

Shaping the Nation: England, 1360-1461

Gerald Harriss

A Polite and Commercial People: England, 1727-1783 by Paul Langford

A Polite and Commercial People: England, 1727-1783

Paul Langford

The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy by Peter H. Wilson

The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy

Peter H. Wilson

The Sinews of Power: War, Money and the English State, 1688-1783 by John Brewer

The Sinews of Power: War, Money and the English State, 1688-1783

John Brewer

Empires of the Atlantic World: Britain and Spain in America 1492-1830 by J. H. Elliott

Empires of the Atlantic World: Britain and Spain in America 1492-1830

J. H. Elliott

Britain in Revolution: 1625-1660 by Austin Woolrych

Britain in Revolution: 1625-1660

Austin Woolrych

Going Dutch: How England Plundered Holland's Glory by Lisa Jardine

Going Dutch: How England Plundered Holland's Glory

Lisa Jardine

Restoration: Charles II and His Kingdoms, 1660-1685 by Tim Harris

Restoration: Charles II and His Kingdoms, 1660-1685

Tim Harris

The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages, 400-1000 by Chris Wickham

The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages, 400-1000

Chris Wickham

The Pursuit of Glory: The Five Revolutions that Made Modern Europe: 1648-1815 (Penguin History of Europe) by Tim Blanning

The Pursuit of Glory: The Five Revolutions that Made Modern Europe: 1648-1815 (Penguin History of Europe)

Tim Blanning

The Later Tudors: England, 1547-1603 by Penry Williams

The Later Tudors: England, 1547-1603

Penry Williams

A Mad, Bad, and Dangerous People?: England, 1783-1846 by Boyd Hilton

A Mad, Bad, and Dangerous People?: England, 1783-1846

Boyd Hilton

God's Fury, England's Fire: A New History of the English Civil Wars by Michael Braddick

God's Fury, England's Fire: A New History of the English Civil Wars

Michael Braddick

Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown by Maureen Waller

Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown

Maureen Waller

The Stuart Age: England, 1603-1714 by Barry Coward

The Stuart Age: England, 1603-1714

Barry Coward

Democratic Enlightenment: Philosophy, Revolution, and Human Rights, 1750-1790 by Jonathan I. Israel

Democratic Enlightenment: Philosophy, Revolution, and Human Rights, 1750-1790

Jonathan I. Israel

The World Turned Upside Down: Radical Ideas During the English Revolution by Christopher Hill

The World Turned Upside Down: Radical Ideas During the English Revolution

Christopher Hill

The History of England from the Accession of James II [complete set] by Thomas Babington Macaulay

The History of England from the Accession of James II [complete set]

Thomas Babington Macaulay

This Realm of England 1399-1688 by Lacey Baldwin Smith

This Realm of England 1399-1688

Lacey Baldwin Smith

Reformation : Europe's house divided : 1490-1700 by Diarmaid MacCulloch

Reformation : Europe's house divided : 1490-1700

Diarmaid MacCulloch

Britons: Forging the Nation, 1707–1837 by Linda Colley

Britons: Forging the Nation, 1707–1837

Linda Colley

Revolutionary Ideas: An Intellectual History of the French Revolution from The Rights of Man to Robespierre by Jonathan Israel

Revolutionary Ideas: An Intellectual History of the French Revolution from The Rights of Man to Robespierre

Jonathan Israel

The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689 by Jonathan Healey

The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689

Jonathan Healey

Three Victories and a Defeat: The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire, 1714-1783 by Brendan Simms

Three Victories and a Defeat: The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire, 1714-1783

Brendan Simms

Merchants and Revolution: Commercial Change, Political Conflict, and London's Overseas Traders, 1550-1653 by Robert Brenner

Merchants and Revolution: Commercial Change, Political Conflict, and London's Overseas Traders, 1550-1653

Robert Brenner

The Oxford History of the British Empire, Volume 1 : The Origins of Empire: British Overseas Enterprise to the Close of the Seventeenth Century by Nicholas P. Canny

The Oxford History of the British Empire, Volume 1 : The Origins of Empire: British Overseas Enterprise to the Close of the Seventeenth Century

Nicholas P. Canny

The Age of Aristocracy, 1688-1830 by William B. Willcox

The Age of Aristocracy, 1688-1830

William B. Willcox

Henry II by W. L. Warren

Henry II

W. L. Warren

James II by John Miller

James II

John Miller

Our First Revolution: The Remarkable British Upheaval That Inspired America's Founding Fathers by Michael Barone

Our First Revolution: The Remarkable British Upheaval That Inspired America's Founding Fathers

Michael Barone

A Land of Liberty?: England, 1689-1727 by Julian Hoppit

A Land of Liberty?: England, 1689-1727

Julian Hoppit

The Oxford history of the British Empire, Volume 2 : The eighteenth century by P. J. Marshall

The Oxford history of the British Empire, Volume 2 : The eighteenth century

P. J. Marshall

The Noble Revolt: The Overthrow of Charles I by John Adamson

The Noble Revolt: The Overthrow of Charles I

John Adamson

The English Revolution, 1688-1689 by G.M. Trevelyan

The English Revolution, 1688-1689

G.M. Trevelyan

Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors by Peter Ackroyd

Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors

Peter Ackroyd

Rebellion: The History of England from James I to the Glorious Revolution by Peter Ackroyd

Rebellion: The History of England from James I to the Glorious Revolution

Peter Ackroyd

The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of Britain 660-1649 by N. A. M. Rodger

The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of Britain 660-1649

N. A. M. Rodger

The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649-1815 by N. A. M. Rodger

The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649-1815

N. A. M. Rodger

Civil Wars: A History in Ideas by David Armitage

Civil Wars: A History in Ideas

David Armitage

Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 by Gordon S. Wood

Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815

Gordon S. Wood

Global Crisis : War, Climate Change and Catastrophe in the Seventeenth Century by Geoffrey Parker

Global Crisis : War, Climate Change and Catastrophe in the Seventeenth Century

Geoffrey Parker

God's Englishman: Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution by Christopher Hill

God's Englishman: Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution

Christopher Hill

King Charles II by Antonia Fraser

King Charles II

Antonia Fraser

The Glorious Revolution: 1688, Britain’s Fight for Liberty by Edward Vallance

The Glorious Revolution: 1688, Britain’s Fight for Liberty

Edward Vallance

The Ideological Origins of the British Empire by David Armitage

The Ideological Origins of the British Empire

David Armitage

Complete Recommendations

Member Reviews

Featured Recent Thumbs

All Ratings
2
½2
8
½2
5
No Rating

3 reviews

JaniceLiedl 35 reviews

Grand treatment of James II' rise and fall within the context of Gallican absolutism and Catholicism as well as the usual context of English politics. Pincus is a little bit too fond of tooting his own horn as well as repeating every key point as he move along but still a surprisingly easy read for a weighty volume. However, I'd recommend the non-scholar zip past the first two chapter which are mostly about interpretations of the Revolution and why any but his suck!

Mar 31, 2013