The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread dedicated to the discussion of The Glorious Revolution of 1688-1699.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/...

England's Glorious Revolution 1688- 1699: A Brief History with Documents

by Steven C.A. Pincus

Synopsis

England's Glorious Revolution is a fresh and engaging examination of the Revolution of 1688-1689, when the English people rose up and deposed King James II, placing William III and Mary II on the throne. Steven Pincus's introduction explains the context of the revolution, why these events were so stunning to contemporaries, and how the profound changes in political, economic, and foreign policies that ensued make it the first modern revolution. This volume offers 40 documents from a wide array of sources and perspectives including memoirs, letters, diary entries, political tracts, pamphlets, and newspaper accounts, many of which are not widely available. Document headnotes, questions for consideration, a chronology, a selected bibliography, and an index provide further pedagogical support.

Biography

STEVEN C. A. PINCUS(Ph.D., Harvard University) is professor of history at Yale University.

Here is an introductory book on the Glorious Revolution for those who are interested in this subject and need to fill in the gaps in their knowledge regarding the end of the Stuart dynasty.


The Glorious Revolution

by John Leslie Miller

Synopsis

First published in 1983, John Miller's Glorious Revolution established itself as the standard introduction to the subject. It examines the dramatic events themselves and demonstrates the profound impact the Revolution had on subsequent British history. The Second Edition contains a fuller discussion of Scotland and Ireland, the growth of a fiscal-military state and the role of religion and the Revolution.

William and Mary: Heroes of the Glorious Revolution

by John van der Kiste

Synopsis
Mary, daughter of James, Duke of York, heir to the English throne, then 15, is said to have wept for a day and a half when she was told she was to marry her cousin, William, son of William II of Orange, Stadtholder of the Dutch republic, and Mary, eldest daughter of Charles I of England. In November 1677, on William's 27th birthday, they married in a private ceremony at St James's Palace. William was solemn, James gloomy, Mary in tears, and only King Charles appeared cheerful. This dual biography deals with both the life and times of the monarchs, and with England's place in Europe. Interests of the subjects, outside the constitutional, are dealt with, as well a their personal relationships: William's rumored homosexuality (probably actually a platonic relationship with Bentinck) and Mary's hinted-at lesbianism; Mary's troubled personal relations with her father, James II; and the relationship between Mary and her sister and husband's successor Anne. The book will also examine the personal and political relations between William and his uncle Charles II, and between William and Mary and Charles' illegitimate son the Duke of Monmouth, whose attempts to lay claim to his father's throne ended in defeat and execution.

The BBC offers a brief and concise history of the Glorious Revolution which may entice readers to search out further books on this fascinating time in British history.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/...

For those unfamiliar with James II, below is a short summary of the man and his life.

James II & VII (14 October 1633O – 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Roman Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Members of Britain's political and religious elite increasingly opposed him for being pro-French and pro-Catholic, and for his designs on becoming an absolute monarch. When he produced a Catholic heir, the tension exploded, and leading nobles called on William III of Orange (his son-in-law and nephew) to land an invasion army from the Netherlands, which he did. James fled England (and thus was held to have abdicated) in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. He was replaced by William of Orange, who became king as William III, ruling jointly with his wife (James's daughter) Mary II. Thus William and Mary, both Protestants, became joint rulers in 1689. James made one serious attempt to recover his crowns, when he landed in Ireland in 1689 but, after the defeat of the Jacobite forces by the Williamite forces at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690, James returned to France. He lived out the rest of his life as a pretender at a court sponsored by his cousin and ally, King Louis XIV.

James is best known for his belief in the Divine Right of Kings and his attempts to create religious liberty for English Roman Catholics and Protestant nonconformists against the wishes of the English Parliament. Parliament, opposed to the growth of absolutism that was occurring in other European countries, as well as to the loss of legal supremacy for the Church of England, saw their opposition as a way to preserve what they regarded as traditional English liberties. This tension made James's four-year reign a struggle for supremacy between the English Parliament and the Crown, resulting in his deposition, the passage of the English Bill of Rights, and the Hanoverian succession.

I was reading a book on WWI and found a fascinating footnote which surprised me. I paraphrase here:

WWI divided the inter-married dynasties of the old Europe and produced many tragic ironies, with cousin fighting cousin and even brother fighting brother. But the most extraordinary confrontation lay in the fact that it was Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria who commanded the German Army group against which the British struck some heavy blows.....for the British were attacking the man whom some of their compatriots revered as the rightful King of England. English Legitimists traced the Stuart succession down a clear line which ran through the Houses of Orleans, Savoy, Sardinia and Habsburg-Est to Rupprecht's mother, Queen Marie-Therese of Bavaria. Each year, on the anniversary of the deposing of the last Stuart king by the House of Orange, Jacobites would send white roses to her in Munich as the "the lawful Queen of England"

Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria (1859-1955)

Yet another history of the overthrow of the Stuart dynasty.


The Glorious Revolution: 1688: Britain's Fight for Liberty

by Edward Vallance

Synopsis

Heeding the call of England's ruling class, the Dutch Prince William of Orange landed with a massive invasion force and within six weeks expelled the Catholic King James II in 1688. In what was largely heralded as a bloodless revolution, William and his English wife Mary, James II's Protestant daughter, were crowned joint monarchs, accepting the Declaration of Rights that affirmed Parliament's ancient rights. It was a turning point in Britain's march toward universal suffrage and liberties. But as acclaimed historian Edward Vallance reveals, the Glorious Revolution was characterized by warfare and bloody massacre (especially for Catholics and Irishmen), affected the rights of the common man in ways traditional histories have ignored, and engaged the British populace in the affairs of government as never before. A thriller-paced book--rich in seventeenth-century first-person accounts of the bloodshed and political machinations of the period--that turns every debate about this great historical event on its head

Was the cause of the Glorious Revolution politics, religion, or a combination of both. This article linked below offers a simple explanation.

http://www.studymode.com/essays/Cause...

The Glorious Revolution unseated the Stuart King James II and brought the House of Hanover to the British throne. This book gives an overview of the entire dynasty and is very well done.

The Hanoverians

by Jeremy Black (no photo)

Synopsis

In "The Hanoverians," one of Britain's most widely read historians, Jeremy Black, presents a detailed look at the long reign of this family's scandal-plagued reigning dynasty from the eighteenth to the early nineteenth century, including four King Georges and William IV. From the controversial King George I, who spoke only French and German, to George III's humiliating loss of the American colonies and bouts of insanity, to the disliked George IV's scandalous marriage and attempted divorce, the reign of the Hanoverians was filled with interesting stories and extraordinary characters.

A biography of King James II while he was in exile after the Glorious Revolution.

King in Exile: James II

by John Callow(no photo)

Synopsis:

For eleven years, from his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690 until his death in 1701, James II lived in one of the most spectacular baroque palaces in Europe at Saint Germain en Laye, holding court as a king in exile. This period is almost completely ignored by those writing about James and yet it was the period which set in train the rise of Jacobitism and allowed James to attempt to fashion the opportunity for his comeback as rightful king. John Callow's book reassesses James's strategy for dealing with his downfall and exile and presents a portrait of a man who planned for himself great political rewards and popular acclaim. That these plans did not materialize was the inevitable result of the changing perception of monarchy in Britain but James left a lasting legacy in the form of Jacobitism on the one hand and a deep suspicion of Catholic monarchs on the other.

A social biography of King William III, who ascended the throne with his wife Mary, after the Glorious Revolution.

William III: The Stadholder-King

by Wout Troost (no photo)

Synopsis

In Britain the name of William III is synonymous with sectarianism and Orangism. Ever since he burst onto the English political landscape in 1688 to take the throne of his Catholic uncle, James II, William has tended to be viewed within a largely domestic sphere. Yet, it has been acknowledged that William's main motivation in accepting the English Crown was to aid the ongoing struggles of the United Provinces against the might of Louis XIV's France. Whilst both the British and European aspects of William's activities have been studied before, there has until now been no English language book that draws together both his Dutch and British concerns. In this book, made available in English for the first time, Wout Troost exploits his detailed knowledge of Dutch, English, Scottish and Irish sources to paint a holistic and convincing political analysis of William's reign. Beginning with a brief biography of William, the real strength of this book lies in its analysis of the first part of William's reign before the events of 1688. It is this crucial period that has been most neglected by English-speaking historians, despite the fact that it is crucial to understanding the events that follow. For without an appreciation of William's formative years as stadholder and soldier, his actions and decisions relating to the English Crown cannot be properly construed." Providing a truly balanced insight into the political career of William, this book will be welcomed by all those with an interest in European history, or who wish to better understand the political and religious geography of modern Britain.

Biography of William and Mary who deposed King James II in the Glorious Revolution.

William and Mary

by Henri Van der Zee (no photo)

Synopsis

This biography of William of Orange and Mary Stuart marks the 300th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution - the accession to the throne of William of Orange, a Dutch soldier-prince and Mary Stuart, daughter of the deposed Catholic King James II. Their ascendancy to the throne in 1688 heralded the beginning of an epoch of immense achievement and an English monarchy that overshadowed every European ruler other than Louis XIV of France as well as the confirmation of the powers of Parliament - the era became known as the Glorious Revolution.

An upcoming book:
Release date: November 4, 2013

Fire under the Ashes: An Atlantic History of the English Revolution

by John Donoghue (no photo)

Synopsis:

In Fire under the Ashes, John Donoghue recovers the lasting significance of the radical ideas of the English Revolution, exploring their wider Atlantic history through a case study of Coleman Street Ward, London. Located in the crowded center of seventeenth-century London, Coleman Street Ward was a hotbed of political, social, and religious unrest. There among diverse and contentious groups of puritans a tumultuous republican underground evolved as the political means to a more perfect Protestant Reformation. But while Coleman Street has long been recognized as a crucial location of the English Revolution, its importance to events across the Atlantic has yet to be explored.

Prominent merchant revolutionaries from Coleman Street led England’s imperial expansion by investing deeply in the slave trade and projects of colonial conquest. Opposing them were other Coleman Street puritans, who having crossed and re-crossed the ocean as colonists and revolutionaries, circulated new ideas about the liberty of body and soul that they defined against England’s emergent, political economy of empire. These transatlantic radicals promoted social justice as the cornerstone of a republican liberty opposed to both political tyranny and economic slavery—and their efforts, Donoghue argues, provided the ideological foundations for the abolitionist movement that swept the Atlantic more than a century later.

1688: The First Modern Revolution

by Steve Pincus (no photo)

Synopsis:

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 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.

Thank you Jerome for the adds. Well Done

A book of the life of the woman who linked the Stuart and Hanover houses.

Sophia of Hanover

by Josephine Duggan(no photo)

Synopsis:

Sophia, Electress of Hanover (1630-1714), granddaughter of James I, and mother of George I, is best remembered as the link between the Houses of Stuart and Hanover. A true European, Sophia spoke English, French, German, Dutch, and Italian fluently, and was open-minded and intellectually curious. Her writings cover an astonishing variety of subjects: religion, philosophy, international gossip, household hints, politics, and the details of her family life.

Thanks, Stephen, great job on the citations, by the way. Perfect.

Anytime you mention the book, please use those citations. Nicely done.

Another look at the Glorious Revolution and the fall of the House of Stuart.

The Fall of the Stuarts and Western Europe

by Edward Everett Hale Jr.

Synopsis:

Part of the noted Epochs of Modern History Series, this account of a pivotal era in English history--1678 to 1697--is engrossing reading for anyone passionate about world history. Historian Edward Hale splendidly relates the course of events around the fall of the Stuarts and the reverberations their troubles brought to England and the continent.

A history of the monarchy which overthrew the Stuarts.

English Monarchs: The House of Hanover

by Grace Windsor)no photo)

Synopsis:

This book discusses the reign of William IV of the House of Hanover. It features his father George III, his brother and predecessor George IV, his wife Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, and his children Princesses Charlotte and Elizabeth of Clarence. It also includes information about his time on the HMS Pegasus, the Belgian Revolution and more.

Thank you Jill for the adds.

Lord Churchill's Coup: The Anglo-American Empire and the Glorious Revolution Reconsidered

by Stephen Saunders Webb (no photo)

Synopsis:

In Lord Churchill's Coup, Stephen Saunders Webb further advances his revisionist interpretation of the British Empire in the seventeenth century. Having earlier demonstrates that the Anglo-American empire was classic in its form, administered by an army, committed to territorial expansion, and motivated by crusading religion, Webb now argues that both England and its American social experiments were the underdeveloped elements of an empire emerging on both sides of the Atlantic and that the pivotal moment of that empire, the so-called “Glorious Revolution,” was in fact a military coup driven by religious fears.

In a vigorous narrative, Webb populates this formative period of the Anglo-American past with colorful and commanding characters. At the center is John Churchill. We see him rise from page boy to earl of Marlborough, winning battlefield glory, influence, and promotion; and his corresponding rise from ensign of the English army taking control of the destiny of the later Stuart monarchs of Britain and America.

Webb shows us Churchill increasingly alarmed by the Catholicizing course of his patron, James II, and becoming instrumental in the organization of a successful coup to protect Anglicanism and the constitution. We see the resulting alliance with William of Orange, the Protestant champion of Europe, quickly turn sour as William makes himself king; and we see Churchill, now transformed into imperial politician, once again in power—able to secure the succession of Queen Anne and negotiate the terms of resumption of war against France.

Throughout, Webb makes it clear that at the heart of Churchill’s ascent and actions is his vision of America as a decisive factor in the world war between England and France for impersonal supremacy. As the book ends, Churchill’s American agenda thus becomes central to the war aims of the Grand Alliance.

Thanks for the add, Jerome.

This book explores the religious atmosphere of the reign of William III and how he used it to justify his rise to the throne of England.

William III and the Godly Revolution

by Tony Claydon(no photo)

Synopsis:

This book provides the first full account of William III's propaganda during his reign in England, 1689-1702. It thus explores the self-presentation of the English monarchy at a particularly difficult moment. In the 1690s the king had both to justify his irregular succession to the throne in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and to mobilize his country for mass warfare. Unlike most other works on the political language of late Stuart England, this volume does not concentrate on secular arguments, but rather stresses the importance of religious ideas of the period, insisting that the king solved his ideological problems by posing as a providential ruler sent by God to protect and renew the pure Protestant religion.

This book covers the lives of the six Queens who ruled in their own right.....one of them is the first Hanoverian, Queen Mary.

Sovereign Ladies: The Six Reigning Queens of England

by Maureen Waller

Synopsis:

In the last millennium there have been only six English female sovereigns: Mary I and Elizabeth I, Mary II and Anne, Victoria and Elizabeth II, who celebrated her eightieth birthday in 2006. With the exception of Mary I, they are among England’s most successful monarchs. Without Mary II and Anne, the Glorious Revolution of 1688 might not have taken place. Elizabeth I and Victoria each gave their name to an age, presiding over long periods when the country made significant progress in the growth of empire, prestige, and power.

All of them have far-reaching legacies. Each faced personal sacrifices and emotional dilemmas in her pursuit of political power. How to overcome the problem of being a female ruler when the sex was considered inferior? Does a queen take a husband and, if so, how does she reconcile the reversal of the natural order, according to which the man should be the master?

A queen’s first duty is to provide an heir to the throne, but at what cost? In this richly compelling narrative, Maureen Waller delves into the intimate lives of England’s queens regnant in delicious detail, assessing their achievements from a female perspective.

An upcoming book:
Release date: February 1, 2015

Happy and Glorious: The Revolution of 1688

by Michael I Wilson (no photo)

Synopsis:

The Glorious Revolution of 1688 is a story of intrigue, plot and counter-plot, religious rivalry, and nationalist fervor. It tells of a stubborn and bigoted king (James VII & II) in conflict with his subjects—a conflict in which he was finally forced to put aside his crown and make way for his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange. Less than 30 years since Charles II has been restored to the throne, a king was once more deposed (although this time rather less bloodily), effectively creating the form of government that we have today: after the Revolution it was no longer possible for British monarchs to ride roughshod over the wishes of their people or to impose religion upon them. Yet, as well as creating a constitutional monarchy, it also led to the Jacobite Rebellions in Scotland and the Orange Order marches in Northern Ireland. This book tells the story of those momentous events and sets them against the turbulent backdrop of 17th-century life.

England Under the Stuarts

by George Macaulay Trevelyan

Synopsis

An undisputed classic, England Under the Stuarts is an account of England in the years between 1603 and 1714, charting England's progress from a 'great nation' to a 'great empire'.

G. M. Trevelyan's masterful narrative explores the major events of this period, which witnessed the upheavals of Civil War, the Restoration and the Glorious Revolution. While never neglecting to examine the conditions of English life, this celebrated historian highlights the liberty and toleration that emerged during these years.

Almost a century after its first publication, and now with a new introduction by John Morrill, Trevelyan's thorough survey of the Stuart age remains certain to inform and delight anybody with an interest in this period of English history.

An excellent history of the Stuart dynasty.

Dynasty: The Stuarts

by John MacLeod (no photo)

Synopsis:

In 1630, the ascension of King James VI of Scotland to the English throne, whereupon he became known as James I, finally united Britain under one rule. If that was not enough, his legacy in Western tradition was secured when he commission the standardized translation of the Holy Bible that still bears his names. his descendants, the Stuart dynasty, ruled into the next century, and their family tree includes today's British monarchy. But these accomplishment offer only half the story of King James I, who frequently indulged in same-sex liaisons. As John Macleod chronicles in Dynasty, his new account of the Stuarts, the debauchery of James and his court set an example that would color virtually every Stuart monarch to come.

Stuart Kings were stabbed in cellars, hacked to death in barns, repeatedly deposed. A common molehill spelled the end for the bold "King Billy." James II of Scotland was killed by his own cannon. Charles I enjoys the dubious distinction of being the only English monarch ever executed. The sexual voracity of Charles II brought the throne scores of illegitimate children. From the serial husbands of Mary Queen of Scots (herself beheaded on the order of her cousin, Elizabeth I) to the eccentric Stuart Cardinal with a taste for young men, Macleod takes the reader on an irreverent journey through one of the most calamitous dynasties in the history of the English throne.

But despite the farce and tumult of the Stuarts, there emerged in the United Kingdom during their reign new thoughts and institutions, including the foundations of a modern democracy. Macleod does not simply revel in the tabloid exploits of a few English kings, he weaves a tale of fascinating and flawed rulers within the context of their own politically charged times. Dynasty charts the delicate and sometimes disastrous, often hilarious, interplay between the fate of nations and that of the personalities who rule them.

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

by Michael Barone (no photo)

Synopsis:

The ideals of freedom and individual rights that inspired America’s Founding Fathers did not spring from a vacuum. Along with many other defining principles of our national character, they can be traced directly back to one of the most pivotal events in British history—the late-seventeenth-century uprising known as the Glorious Revolution.

In a work of popular history that stands with recent favorites such as David McCullough’s 1776 and Joseph J. Ellis’s Founding Brothers, Michael Barone brings the story of this unlikely and largely bloodless revolt to American readers and reveals that, without the Glorious Revolution, the American Revolution may never have happened.

Unfolding in 1688–1689, Britain’s Glorious Revolution resulted in the hallmarks of representative government, guaranteed liberties, the foundations of global capitalism, and a foreign policy of opposing aggressive foreign powers. But as Barone shows, there was nothing inevitable about the Glorious Revolution. It sprang from the character of the English people and depended on the talents, audacity, and good luck of two men: William of Orange (later William III of England), who launched history’s last successful cross-channel inva sion, and John Churchill, an ancestor of Winston, who commanded the forces of the deposed James II but crossed over to support William one fateful November night.

The story of the Glorious Revolution is a rich and riveting saga of palace intrigue, loyalty and shocking betrayal, and bold political and military strategizing. With narrative drive, a sure command of historical events, and unforgettable portraits of kings, queens, soldiers, parliamentarians, and a large cast of full-blooded characters, Barone takes an episode that has fallen into unjustified obscurity and restores it to the prominence it deserves. Especially now, as we face enemies who wish to rid the world of the lasting legacies of the Glorious Revolution—democracy, individual rights, and capitalism among them—it is vitally important that we understand the origins of these blessings.

Good add, Jerome.

The Empire Reformed: English America in the Age of the Glorious Revolution

by Owen Stanwood (no photo)

Synopsis:

The Empire Reformed tells the story of a forgotten revolution in English America--a revolution that created not a new nation but a new kind of transatlantic empire. During the seventeenth century, England's American colonies were remote, disorganized outposts with reputations for political turmoil. Colonial subjects rebelled against authority with stunning regularity, culminating in uprisings that toppled colonial governments in the wake of England's "Glorious Revolution" in 1688-89. Nonetheless, after this crisis authorities in both England and the colonies successfully rebuilt the empire, providing the cornerstone of the great global power that would conquer much of the continent over the following century.

In The Empire Reformed historian Owen Stanwood illustrates this transition in a narrative that moves from Boston to London to Barbados and Bermuda. He demonstrates not only how the colonies fit into the empire but how imperial politics reflected--and influenced--changing power dynamics in England and Europe during the late 1600s. In particular, Stanwood reveals how the language of Catholic conspiracies informed most colonists' understanding of politics, serving first as the catalyst of rebellions against authority, but later as an ideological glue that held the disparate empire together. In the wake of the Glorious Revolution imperial leaders and colonial subjects began to define the British empire as a potent Protestant union that would save America from the designs of French "papists" and their "savage" Indian allies. By the eighteenth century, British Americans had become proud imperialists, committed to the project of expanding British power in the Americas.

The Glorious Revolution

by Eveline Cruickshanks (no photo)

Synopsis:

This radical reassessment of the origins, circumstances and impact of the Revolution of 1688-89 takes a fresh look at the Glorious Revolution in its parliamentary, religious, and economic context and places it in its European setting. Eveline Cruickshanks argues that James II was a revolutionary king and that the Revolution eventually enabled Britain to become a world power.

Thanks for the add, Jerome.

The Stuarts made one last grasp for the throne of England and almost succeeded. This is the biography of the grandson of James II (the Old Pretender) who attempted to bring the downfall of the House of Hanover.

Bonnie Prince Charlie: A Life

by Peter Pininski (no photo)

Synopsis

King James II's eldest legitimate grandson, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, known everywhere as 'Bonnie Prince Charlie', achieved international fame at the age of twenty five as the man who by his charisma, daring and energy led the Rising of 1745 against George II which all but succeeded in restoring the exiled Stuarts' to their thrones of Scotland, England and Ireland.The romance of this dramatic military episode and the legend of the prince's extraordinary months on the run in the Western Highlands after his defeat at Culloden in 1746, eclipse the deeply human story of a brilliant but flawed man. Vital, magnanimous and sensitive in victory, yet scarred as a youth by the anorexia which killed his mother, his defeat in successive risings led to an alcoholism which destroyed Charles's heroic qualities and all his early promise. Prince Charles Edward's life is often focused on the 1745 Rising. But this new biography charts his early life and reveals the Polish origin of his astonishing dynamism and brittle psyche, inherited from his Polish princess-mother, set against the multi-cultural upbringing of his father's exiled British court in Rome and the international network of his pan-European cousins, friends, freemasons and bankers who throughout his life financed and tried to further his ever-more doomed cause. Pininski's new life of Charles also vividly relates the story of the prince's only child and heir and three hidden grandchildren whose previously untold lives were described by the Daily Mail as 'one of the best-kept secrets in Scottish history'.

The English Revolution, 1688-1689

by George Macaulay Trevelyan

Synopsis:

G. M. Trevelyan's eminence among historians has received world-wide recognition, and the Bloodless Revolution is a subject within the period of English history to which he devoted many years of special study. His accomplishments both as an exact scholar and as a writer of exceptional ability have given this book a two-fold importance: it is a piece of literature as well as an outstanding contribution to historical inquiry.

Thanks, Jerome.

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

by Tim Harris (no photo)

Synopsis:

To an extraordinary extent everyone in Britain still lives under the shadow of the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688. It was a massive, brutal and terrifying event, which completely changed the governments of England, Scotland and Ireland and which was only achieved through overwhelming violence. Initiated by a large Dutch army marching through southern England and climaxing in a series of the most terrible battles ever fought on Irish soil, the revolution by which William III seized James II' kingdoms could only for a very narrow and exclusively English viewpoint be called 'glorious'. Many thousands died during the Revolution, an event that marked a new and final orientation for Britain that, except for a large part of Ireland, has endured to the present day. Revolution brilliantly captures the sense that this was a great turning point in Britain's history, but also shows how severe a price was paid to achieve this.

Great job on the British threads Jill and thanks Jerome for your adds as well.

The ultimate betrayal which changed the ruling house of Britain.

Royal Sisters: The Story of the Daughters of James II

by Jean Plaidy

Synopsis:

England is on the verge of revolution. Antagonized by the Catholicism of King James II, the people plot to drive him from the throne. But at the heart of the plot is a deep betrayal: the defection of the daughters James loves, Mary and Anne.

Both raised Protestant according to the wishes of England, the sisters support Protestant usurper William of Orange, Mary's husband, who lusts after the British crown. Passive Queen Mary is subservient to her husband's wishes, while Anne is desperate to please her childhood friend Sarah Churchill, a bold and domineering woman determined to subdue Anne, the queen-to-be, and rule England herself.

Intrigue and political drama run high as the sisters struggle to be reconciled with each other--and with the haunting memory of the father they have exiled.

To fully understand the fall of James I during the Glorious Revolution, it is important to be acquainted with the Divine Right of Kings, upon which James based his rule.

The Divine Right of Kings

by Figgis John Neville (no phot)

Synopsis:

A key work in the history of political thought, Figgis's book revived the subject of the divine right of kings after it had been effectively destroyed by Locke in the seventeenth century. It displays his astonishingly wide reading and his, at the time, ground-breaking method of stressing the importance of historical setting. Many of his propositions proved seminal and were further developed by others.This, the second edition, includes three additional essays.

Reluctant Revolutionaries: Englishmen and the Revolution of 1688

by W.A. Speck (no photo)

Synopsis:

In 1688 the Catholic James II was removed from the throne and replaced by Protestant monarchs, first William III, and then Mary. The importance of this "glorious revolution," long seen as a crucial shift in Britain from absolutism to constitutional monarchy, has recently been questioned by historians. This wide-ranging book takes a fresh look at the people and events of 1688. Challenging recent work and arguing that 1688 did see a decisive, though not inevitable, movement toward mixed, constitutional monarchy, Speck provides a vivid picture of politics and society in the Glorious Revolution. He explores the nature of the late Stuart monarchy, and its likely development without the "accident" of James II; the personality of James himself, and the significance of his flight; the nature of the conspiracy to invite William of Orange to England and place him on the throne; and the Revolution's constitutional importance and long-term social and religious implications.

The Last Revolution: 1688 and the Creation of the Modern World

by Patrick Dillon

Synopsis:

The last successful invasion of England; mobs burning Catholic chapels; one king, James, driven from his palace by night while another, William, rode in at the head of a foreign army; the events of winter 1688 were among the most dramatic in our history.

The settlement which followed would place England decisively on the path to freedom, toleration, parliamentary democracy ­and empire. Few moments have done so much to shape this country as the Glorious Revolution. But 1688 would change England in other ways as well. This was the time of Isaac Newton's scientific breakthroughs and John Locke's philosophy; the emergence of free market ideas and the end of press censorship.

Closely researched, teeming with dramatic incident and vivid character and weaving political drama with the lives of scientists and revolutionaries, stockjobbers and refugees, The Last Revolution paints a vivid canvas of England's last great political struggle and brings to life the revolutionary world of the late seventeenth century.

Thanks for the adds, Jerome.

Can't recommend this book highly enough

by Carlo Gébler

The 105 day siege of Derry was one of the most pivotal events in the turbulent history of Ireland. The last great siege in British history, it was part of the wider struggle between France and the United Provinces. For Britain, coinciding with the ousting of the Catholic James II and the arrival of the Protestant William from the Netherlands, it was an element in the "Glorious Revolution", also known as the Bloodless Revolution. Yet, as Carlo Gebler shows in this magisterial and comprehensive book, there was nothing glorious or bloodless about what happened in Derry.

Deftly weaving his way through the full weight of military memoirs and diaries, through true accounts, critiques and vindications of those stories, Gebler has created a definitive account of the siege and its full historical implications.

Neil, hello - you may want to check out the mechanics of the board thread which will help you with the citations - you are making great attempts and we appreciate that very much.

by Carlo Gébler (no photo)

When there is no author's photo just simply add the words (no photo) in parenthesis afterward.

Here is the Mechanics of the Board thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Your posts are great and the background that you have is just what these threads need and the books that you are recommending are terrific - the citations will come but we do need to help you along with the correct citations and hope that you will edit your posts so that they are correct.

Glad to have you with us.

Thanks Bentley. You'll notice that my previous post was made 6 days ago. I've got the hang of the citations since then ;)
Thanks again.

Very good - just simply go back to 47 and add the (no photo) at the end and I will delete my recommendation and post - we are delighted with your input.

Michael Barone, author and Senior Fellow of American Enterprise University discusses the causes of the Glorious Revolution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnDNP...

(Source: YouTube)

Lives of the Queens of England of the House of Hanover

by John Doran (no photo)

Synopsis:

John Doran's highly entertaining history of queens of England of the House of Hanover is indispensable reading for anyone passionate about English history. Volume one of this two-volume set presents portraits of Sophia Dorothea of Zell, wife of George I; Caroline Wilhelmina Dorothea, wife of George II; and Charlotte Sophia, wife of George III.

Blood Royal

by Christopher Sinclair-Stevenson(no photo)

Synopsis:

Although there is no description of this book on GR, it has gotten some decent reviews so it may be one to look for at the library.