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Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1500 to 1750

Burgers & Amptenare - Die vroeë ontwikkeling van die kolonie aan die Kaap, 1662?1679 (Afrikaans, Hardcover): Karel Schoeman Burgers & Amptenare - Die vroeë ontwikkeling van die kolonie aan die Kaap, 1662–1679 (Afrikaans, Hardcover)
Karel Schoeman
R363 Discovery Miles 3 630 Ships in 4 - 8 working days

Ddie vierde van vyf boeke oor vroeë blanke vestiging aan die Kaap. Hier word die vestigingsjare van die Nederlandse kolonie aan die Kaap beskryf. Die kommandeurs wat op Jan van Riebeeck gevolg het, staan in sy skadu en kry gewoonlik nie baie aandag in die geskiedenisboeke nie.

In die eerste hoofstukke van hierdie boek val die kollig egter op Zacharias Wagenaer, Cornelius van Quaelberg, Isband Goske en Joan Bax en hulle span VOC-amptenare. In die laaste deel van die boek kom die uitbreiding van die blanke nedersetting na die binneland en die totstandkoming van ’n klas gegoede en gevestigde vryburgers, onder die aandag. Die eerste vryburgers het mense ingesluit soos Steven Jansz Botma, W.C. Mostaert en die Duitser Jacob Cloete, wie se nasate vandag bekende Afrikaanse families vorm. Schoeman beskryf hoe hierdie vryburgers naas hulle boerderybedrywighede ook ander klein ondernemings begin het, soos taphuise, steenmakery en kleremakery.

Aan die hand van boedelinventarisse word nagegaan hoe party van die eens arm vryburgers geleidelik meer grond, vee, implemente en meubels kon bekom, ’n aanduiding van die toenemende welvaart van wat sou uitgroei tot ’n Kaapse elite.

The Siege of Loyalty House - A Story of the English Civil War (Hardcover): Jessie Childs The Siege of Loyalty House - A Story of the English Civil War (Hardcover)
Jessie Childs
R773 R646 Discovery Miles 6 460 Save R127 (16%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days
"A General Plague of Madness" - The Civil Wars in Lancashire, 1640-1660 (Hardcover, Limited edition): Stephen Bull "A General Plague of Madness" - The Civil Wars in Lancashire, 1640-1660 (Hardcover, Limited edition)
Stephen Bull
R965 Discovery Miles 9 650 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Lord Derby, Lancashire's highest-ranked nobleman and its principal royalist, once offered the opinion that the English civil wars had been a 'general plague of madness'. Complex and bedevilling, the earl defied anyone to tell the complete story of 'so foolish, so wicked, so lasting a war'. Yet attempting to chronicle and to explain the events is both fascinating and hugely important. Nationally and at the county level the impact and significance of the wars can hardly be over-stated: the conflict involved our ancestors fighting one another, on and off, for a period of nine years; almost every part of Lancashire witnessed warfare of some kind at one time or another, and several towns in particular saw bloody sieges and at least one episode characterised as a massacre. Nationally the wars resulted in the execution of the king; in 1651 the Earl of Derby himself was executed in Bolton in large measure because he had taken a leading part in the so-called massacre in that town in 1644.In the early months of the civil wars many could barely distinguish what it was that divided people in 'this war without an enemy', as the royalist William Waller famously wrote; yet by the end of it parliament had abolished monarchy itself and created the only republic in over a millennium of England's history. Over the ensuing centuries this period has been described variously as a rebellion, as a series of civil wars, even as a revolution. Lancashire's role in these momentous events was quite distinctive, and relative to the size of its population particularly important. Lancashire lay right at the centre of the wars, for the conflict did not just encompass England but Ireland and Scotland too, and Lancashire's position on the coast facing Catholic, Royalist Ireland was seen as critical from the very first months.And being on the main route south from Scotland meant that the county witnessed a good deal of marching and marauding armies from the north. In this, the first full history of the Lancashire civil wars for almost a century, Stephen Bull makes extensive use of new discoveries to narrate and explain the exciting, terrible events which our ancestors witnessed in the cause either of king or parliament. From Furness to Liverpool, and from the Wyre estuary to Manchester and Warrington...civil war actions, battles, sieges and skirmishes took place in virtually every corner of Lancashire.

Europe: 1555-1848 (Paperback, illustrated edition): M.C. van Zyl Europe: 1555-1848 (Paperback, illustrated edition)
M.C. van Zyl
R143 Discovery Miles 1 430 Ships in 4 - 8 working days
Routledge Library Editions: Colonialism and Imperialism (Hardcover): Various Routledge Library Editions: Colonialism and Imperialism (Hardcover)
Various
R135,557 Discovery Miles 1 355 570 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Routledge Library Editions: Colonialism and Imperialism is a 51-volume collection of previously out-of-print titles that examine the history, practice and implications of Western colonialism around the globe. From the earliest contact by European explorers to the legacies that remain today, these books look at various aspects of the topic that, taken together, form an essential reference collection. Two of the titles study colonialism in Southeast Asia by non-Western states, and provide a counterpoint in the European-focused study of worldwide colonialism.

Samurai William - The Englishman Who Opened Japan (Paperback): Giles Milton Samurai William - The Englishman Who Opened Japan (Paperback)
Giles Milton
R480 R401 Discovery Miles 4 010 Save R79 (16%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Agnes Finnie - The 'Witch' of the Potterrow Port (Paperback): Mary W. Craig Agnes Finnie - The 'Witch' of the Potterrow Port (Paperback)
Mary W. Craig
R251 Discovery Miles 2 510 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Witchcraft holds a continued fascination for readers around the world, and the Scottish witch hunts have recently received renewed media attention, especially with the BBC 2 show Lucy Worsley Investigates, bringing attention to Edinburgh's witches. Expert Mary Craig explores the unusual story of Agnes Finnie, a middle class shopkeeper who lived in the tenements of Edinburgh. After arrest, most witches were tried within a matter of days but not Agnes. Her unusual case took months with weeks of deliberation of the jury. Mary explains why and gives her expert insight into the political and religious tensions that led to her burning. The book will interest a variety of readers, academics and non-academics alike - those interested in witchcraft, British and Scottish history, religious studies and women's studies. Mary Craig works as a historian with museums, archives and schools and hosts regular, well-attended events on the subject of witchcraft in the Scottish Borders. We expect strong media coverage. The Witches of Scotland campaign has recently gained traction and the attention of first minister Nicola Sturgeon, calling for a pardon and apology to those accused during the witch hunts.

Elizabeth - Renaissance Prince (Paperback): Lisa Hilton Elizabeth - Renaissance Prince (Paperback)
Lisa Hilton
R627 R512 Discovery Miles 5 120 Save R115 (18%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Oxford AQA History for A Level: The Tudors: England 1485-1603 (Paperback): Sally Waller Oxford AQA History for A Level: The Tudors: England 1485-1603 (Paperback)
Sally Waller; Michael Tillbrook
R1,307 Discovery Miles 13 070 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Please note this title is suitable for any student studying: Exam Board: AQA Level: A Level Subject: History First teaching: September 2015 First exams: June 2017 Retaining all the well-loved features from the previous editions, The Tudors has been approved by AQA and matched to the 2015 specifications. With a strong focus on skills building and exam practice, this book covers in breadth issues of change, continuity, and cause and consequence in this period of English history through key questions such as how effectively did the Tudors develop the powers of the monarchy, and how did English society and economy change. Its aim is to enable students to understand and make connections between the six key themes covered in the specification. Students can further develop vital skills such as historical interpretations and source analyses via specially selected sources and extracts. Practice questions and study tips provide additional support to help familiarize students with the new exam style questions, and help them achieve their best in the exam.

The Burgermeister's Daughter - Scandal in a 16th Century German Town (Paperback, 1st Perennial ed): Steven E Ozment The Burgermeister's Daughter - Scandal in a 16th Century German Town (Paperback, 1st Perennial ed)
Steven E Ozment
R429 R359 Discovery Miles 3 590 Save R70 (16%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

In an era when women were supposed to be disciplined and obedient, Anna proved to be neither. Defying 16th-century social mores, she was the frequent subject of gossip because of her immodest dress and flirtatious behavior. When her wealthy father discovered that she was having secret, simultaneous affairs with a young nobleman and a cavalryman, he turned her out of the house in rage, but when she sued him for financial support, he had her captured, returned home and chained to a table as punishment. Anna eventually escaped and continued her suit against her father, her siblings and her home town in a bitter legal battle that was to last 30 years and end only upon her death.

Drawn from her surviving love letters and court records, The Burgermeister's Daughter is a fascinating examination of the politics of sexuality, gender and family in the 16th century, and a powerful testament to the courage and tenacity of a woman who defied the inequalities of this distant age.

The Library - A Fragile History (Paperback, Main): Arthur der Weduwen, Andrew Pettegree The Library - A Fragile History (Paperback, Main)
Arthur der Weduwen, Andrew Pettegree
R396 R376 Discovery Miles 3 760 Save R20 (5%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

LONGLISTED FOR THE HISTORICAL WRITERS' ASSOCIATION NON-FICTION CROWN A SUNDAY TIMES NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Timely ... a long and engrossing survey of the library' FT 'A sweeping, absorbing history, deeply researched' Richard Ovenden, author of Burning the Books Famed across the known world, jealously guarded by private collectors, built up over centuries, destroyed in a single day, ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes or filled with bean bags and children's drawings - the history of the library is rich, varied and stuffed full of incident. In this, the first major history of its kind, Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen explore the contested and dramatic history of the library, from the famous collections of the ancient world to the embattled public resources we cherish today. Along the way, they introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world's great collections, trace the rise and fall of fashions and tastes, and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanours committed in pursuit of rare and valuable manuscripts.

Machiavelli - A Biography (Paperback): Miles J. Unger Machiavelli - A Biography (Paperback)
Miles J. Unger 1
R509 R433 Discovery Miles 4 330 Save R76 (15%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Few philosophers are more often referred to and more often misunderstood than Machiavelli. He was truly a product of the Renaissance, and he was as much a revolutionary in the field of political philosophy as Leonardo or Michelangelo were in painting and sculpture. He watched his native Florence lose its independence to the French, thanks to poor leadership from the Medici successors to the great Lorenzo (Il Magnifico). Machiavelli was a keen observer of people, and he spent years studying events and people before writing his famous books. Descended from minor nobility, Machiavelli grew up in a household that was run by a vacillating and incompetent father. He was well educated and smart, and he entered government service as a clerk. He eventually became an important figure in the Florentine state but was defeated by the deposed Medici and Pope Julius II. He was tortured but eventually freed by the restored Medici. No longer employed, he retired to his home to write the books for which he is remembered. Machiavelli had seen the best and the worst of human nature, and he understood how the world operated. He drew his observations from life, and he was appropriately cynical in his writing, given what he had personally experienced. He was an outstanding writer, and his work remains fascinating nearly 500 years later.

Borders Witch Hunt - The Story of the 17th Century Witchcraft Trials in the Scottish Borders (Paperback, 2nd edition): Mary W.... Borders Witch Hunt - The Story of the 17th Century Witchcraft Trials in the Scottish Borders (Paperback, 2nd edition)
Mary W. Craig
R225 Discovery Miles 2 250 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The book provides an overview and analysis of the witch trials in the Scottish Borders in the 17th century. The 17th century was a time of upheaval in Scottish and British history, with a civil war, the abolition of the monarchy, the plague and the reformation all influencing the social context at the time. This book explores the social, political, geographical, religious and legal structures that led to the increased amount of witch trials and executions in the Scottish Borders. As well as looking at specific trials the book also explores the role of women, both as accuser and as accused.

Judge Sewall's Apology - The Salem Witch Trials and the Forming of an American Conscience (Paperback, Annotated edition):... Judge Sewall's Apology - The Salem Witch Trials and the Forming of an American Conscience (Paperback, Annotated edition)
Richard Francis
R464 R389 Discovery Miles 3 890 Save R75 (16%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The Salem witch hunt has entered our vocabulary as the very essence of injustice. Judge Samuel Sewall presided at these trials, passing harsh judgment on the condemned. But five years later, he publicly recanted his guilty verdicts and begged for forgiveness. This extraordinary act was a turning point not only for Sewall but also for America's nascent values and mores.

In "Judge Sewall's Apology," Richard Francis draws on the judge's own diaries, which enables us to see the early colonists not as grim ideologues, but as flesh-and-blood idealists, striving for a new society while coming to terms with the desires and imperfections of ordinary life. Through this unsung hero of the American conscience -- a Puritan, an antislavery agitator, a defender of Native American rights, and a Utopian theorist -- we are granted a fresh perspective on a familiar drama.

Church Life in Hereford and Oxford - A Study of Two Sees, 1660-1760 (Hardcover): William Marshall Church Life in Hereford and Oxford - A Study of Two Sees, 1660-1760 (Hardcover)
William Marshall
R667 Discovery Miles 6 670 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Hereford and Oxford in the century following the Restoration were two widely contrasting sees. Hereford was old, dating from ad 676, and large, sprawling over Herefordshire, half of Shropshire and small parts of other border counties. The Oxford diocese, on the other hand, dated from just 1542 and was compact, merely covering the county of Oxfordshire. This interesting book concerns a much-overlooked period in history, drawing on little-known original sources to build a picture of the administration of these disparate dioceses. There are fascinating insights into the working of the church courts (which controlled people's lives in a way and to an extent that would be unacceptable today), portrayals of the key figures in both sees, and an analysis of diocesan patterns of welfare and education provision. William Marshall's research also reveals that there was a strong commitment to repair - or to build new - places of worship, and to make good the damage caused to Church infrastructure during the civil wars of the 1640s. The closing chapters go on to examine the work of the bishops, their social origins, their academic standards, their efficiency and diligence. As a group, they certainly cut a more energetic and conscientious figure than has often been supposed, and for the most part, the author argues, they were competent men who saw and acknowledged the weaknesses of the Church and sought to address them. In a departure from commonly held wisdom, what emerges from William Marshall's research is that in many places the Church at the time was very much alive, and even vigorous. Its worst failings were, he claims, in its social welfare and in the tedium of its worship for the mass of the people, but here, at this time, it was certainly neither asleep nor decadent.

Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester - A True Restoration Tragedy (Hardcover): Nigel Pickford Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester - A True Restoration Tragedy (Hardcover)
Nigel Pickford
R515 Discovery Miles 5 150 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In 1682, Charles II invited his scandalous younger brother, James, Duke of York, to return from exile and take his rightful place as heir to the throne. To celebrate, the future king set sail in a fleet of eight ships destined for Edinburgh, where he would reunite with his young pregnant wife. Yet disaster struck en route, somewhere off the Norfolk coast. The royal frigate in which he sailed, the Gloucester, sank, causing some two hundred sailors and courtiers to perish. The diarist Samuel Pepys had been asked to sail with James but refused the invitation, preferring to travel in one of the other ships. Why? What did he know that others did not? Nigel Pickford's compelling account of the catastrophe draws on a richness of historical material including letters, diaries and ships' logs, revealing for the first time the full drama and tragic consequences of a shipwreck that shook Restoration Britain.

The Siege of Loyalty House - A new history of the English Civil War (Paperback): Jessie Childs The Siege of Loyalty House - A new history of the English Civil War (Paperback)
Jessie Childs
R345 R270 Discovery Miles 2 700 Save R75 (22%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

**A TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH, SPECTATOR, THE CRITIC, MAIL ON SUNDAY, ECONOMIST AND PROSPECT BOOK OF THE YEAR** 'A gifted narrative historian, eloquent, graceful and witty; the stories she tells are the ones we all should know' Hilary Mantel __________ It was a time of climate change and colonialism, puritans and populism, witch hunts and war . . . Drawing on unpublished manuscripts and the voices of countless victims of the crossfire, Jessie Childs weaves a thrilling tale of war and peace, terror and faith, savagery and civilisation. Throughout, we follow artists, apothecaries, merchants and their families from the streets of London as they descend on the royalist stronghold of Basing House. The Siege of Loyalty House is an immersive and electrifying account of a defining episode in a war that would turn Britain - and the world - upside down. __________ 'Extraordinary, thrilling, immersive ... at times almost Tolstoyan in its emotional intelligence and literary power' Simon Schama 'Compellingly readable... [a] beautifully written and lucid account' Mail on Sunday 'Brilliant. Original. Gripping.' Antonia Fraser 'Beautifully written and gripping from first page to last. A sparkling book by one of the UK's finest historians' Peter Frankopan 'The Siege of Loyalty House is not only deeply researched. Childs has composed a wonderfully poetic narrative and adds a touch of the gothic' The Times 'Successfully brings the ghastliness of the period to life, dramatically, vividly and with pathos' Charles Spencer, Spectator

The Pirate Queen - Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers, and the Dawn of Empire (Paperback): Susan Ronald The Pirate Queen - Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers, and the Dawn of Empire (Paperback)
Susan Ronald 1
R409 R371 Discovery Miles 3 710 Save R38 (9%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Elizabeth I was originally dubbed 'the pirate queen' by Philip II of Spain and acknowledged as such by the pope. Extravagant, whimsical, hot-tempered, sexually enticing and the epitome of power, Elizabeth I has never ceased to amaze, entertain, and educate through the centuries. Yet very little has been written, and no books have been dedicated to, Elizabeth I for the financial magician that she was. She played the helpless woman in a man's world to great effect and beleaguered Protestant queen in a predominantly Catholic Europe, using her wiles to exploit every political and social opportunity at hand.Yet her many accomplishments would have never been possible without her daring merchants, gifted rapscallion adventurers, astronomer philosophers, and stalwart Privy Councilors like William Cecil, Francis Walsingham, and Nicholas Bacon. All these men contributed their vast genius, power, greed, and expertise to the rise of England and the foundations of the British Empire. Her foundation of empire was built on a carefully choreographed strategic plan where privateering - piracy to us today - was the expedient method she and her advisors selected to turn her rogue state into the greatest empire the world has ever seen.

The Borgias and Their Enemies, 1431-1519 (Paperback): Christopher Hibbert The Borgias and Their Enemies, 1431-1519 (Paperback)
Christopher Hibbert
R470 R390 Discovery Miles 3 900 Save R80 (17%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This colorful history of a powerful family brings the world they lived in--the glittering Rome of the Italian Renaissance--to life and is "simply unputdownable" (New York Times Book Review). The name Borgia is synonymous with the corruption, nepotism, and greed that were rife in Renaissance Italy. The powerful, voracious Rodrigo Borgia, better known to history as Pope Alexander VI, was the central figure of the dynasty. Two of his seven papal offspring also rose to power and fame--Lucrezia Borgia, his daughter, whose husband was famously murdered by her brother, and that brother, Cesare, who served as the model for Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince. Notorious for seizing power, wealth, land, and titles through bribery, marriage, and murder, the dynasty's dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to its occupation of the highest position in Renaissance society forms a gripping tale. Erudite, witty, and always insightful, Hibbert removes the layers of myth around the Borgia family and creates a portrait alive with his superb sense of character and place.

The Connell Guide To The Tudors (Paperback): Susan Doran The Connell Guide To The Tudors (Paperback)
Susan Doran
R261 Discovery Miles 2 610 Ships in 12 - 17 working days
Enlightenment and Religion in the Orthodox World (Paperback): Paschalis M. Kitromilides Enlightenment and Religion in the Orthodox World (Paperback)
Paschalis M. Kitromilides
R2,911 Discovery Miles 29 110 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The place of religion in the Enlightenment has been keenly debated for many years. Research has tended, however, to examine the interplay of religion and knowledge in Western countries, often ignoring the East. In Enlightenment and religion in the Orthodox World leading historians address this imbalance by exploring the intellectual and cultural challenges and changes that took place in Orthodox communities during the eighteenth century. The two main centres of Orthodoxy, the Greek-speaking world and the Russian Empire, are the focus of early chapters, with specialists analysing the integration of modern cosmology into Greek education, and the Greek alternative 'enlightenment', the spiritual Philokalia. Russian experts also explore the battle between the spiritual and the rational in the works of Voulgaris and Levshin. Smaller communities of Eastern Europe were faced with their own particular difficulties, analysed by contributors in the second part of the book. Governed by modernising princes who embraced Enlightenment ideals, Romanian society was fearful of the threat to its traditional beliefs, whilst Bulgarians were grappling in different ways with a new secular ideology. The particular case of the politically-divided Serbian world highlights how Dositej Obradovic's complex humanist views have been used for varying ideological purposes ever since. The final chapter examines the encroachment of the secular on the traditional in art, and the author reveals how Western styles and models of representation were infiltrating Orthodox art and artefacts. Through these innovative case studies this book deepens our understanding of how Christian and secular systems of knowledge interact in the Enlightenment, and provides a rich insight into the challenges faced by leaders and communities in eighteenth-century Orthodox Europe.

Crown of Blood - The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey (Paperback): Nicola Tallis Crown of Blood - The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey (Paperback)
Nicola Tallis
R314 R258 Discovery Miles 2 580 Save R56 (18%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same. These were the words uttered by the seventeen-year-old Lady Jane Grey as she stood on the scaffold awaiting death on a cold February morning in 1554. Forced onto the throne by the great power players at court, Queen Jane reigned for just thirteen tumultuous days before being imprisoned in the Tower, condemned for high treason and executed. In this dramatic retelling of an often misread tale, historian and researcher Nicola Tallis explores a range of evidence that has never before been used in a biography to sweep away the many myths and reveal the moving, human story of an extraordinarily intelligent, independent and courageous young woman.

The Lives of Tudor Women (Paperback): Elizabeth Norton The Lives of Tudor Women (Paperback)
Elizabeth Norton 1
R340 R278 Discovery Miles 2 780 Save R62 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The turbulent Tudor age never fails to capture the imagination. But what was it actually like to be a woman during this period? This was a time when death in infancy or during childbirth was rife; when marriage was usually a legal contract, not a matter for love, and the education of women was minimal at best. Yet the Tudor century was also dominated by powerful and characterful women in a way that no era had been before. Elizabeth Norton explores the seven ages of the Tudor woman, from childhood to old age, through the diverging examples of women such as Elizabeth Tudor, Henry VIII's sister who died in infancy; Cecily Burbage, Elizabeth's wet nurse; Mary Howard, widowed but influential at court; Elizabeth Boleyn, mother of a controversial queen; and Elizabeth Barton, a peasant girl who would be lauded as a prophetess. Their stories are interwoven with studies of topics ranging from Tudor toys to contraception to witchcraft, painting a portrait of the lives of queens and serving maids, nuns and harlots, widows and chaperones.

Ireland's Huguenots and Their Refuge, 1662-1745 - An Unlikely Haven (Paperback): Raymond Hylton Ireland's Huguenots and Their Refuge, 1662-1745 - An Unlikely Haven (Paperback)
Raymond Hylton
R832 Discovery Miles 8 320 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Of the approximately 200,000 Huguenots whose consciences compelled them to leave France during the 17th and 18th centuries, some 10,000 chose to settle in the most unlikely refuge of Ireland. The story of why and how these most ardent of Protestant believers found themselves in this most fervently Catholic of islands is explored in this book. It also attempts to reveal precisely who these Huguenots were, what they contributed to and received from their adopted land, and why Huguenot ancestry is so respected and prized even among devout Irish Catholics. The true chronicle of Ireland's Huguenots is, in opposition to the narrow misrepresentations of the past, one of extraordinary richness and variety, as befits an ethnic group whose influence permeated into every nook of Irish life and society.

Postal Culture in Europe, 1500-1800 (Paperback): Jay Caplan Postal Culture in Europe, 1500-1800 (Paperback)
Jay Caplan
R2,911 Discovery Miles 29 110 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

During the early modern period the public postal systems became central pillars of the emerging public sphere. Despite the importance of the post in the transformation of communication, commerce and culture, little has been known about the functioning of the post or how it affected the lives of its users and their societies. In Postal culture in Europe, 1500-1800, Jay Caplan provides the first historical and cultural analysis of the practical conditions of letter-exchange at the dawn of the modern age. Caplan opens his analysis by exploring the economic, political, social and existential interests that were invested in the postal service, and traces the history of the three main European postal systems of the era, the Thurn and Taxis, the French Royal Post and the British Post Office. He then explores how the post worked, from the folding and sealing of letters to their collection, sorting, and transportation. Beyond providing service to the general public, these systems also furnished early modern states with substantial revenue and effective surveillance tools in the form of the Black Cabinets or Black Chambers. Caplan explains how postal services highlighted the tension between state power and the emerging concept of the free individual, with rights to private communication outside the public sphere. Postal systems therefore affected how letter writers and readers conceived and expressed themselves as individuals, which the author demonstrates through an examination of the correspondence of Voltaire and Rousseau, not merely as texts but as communicative acts. Ultimately, Jay Caplan provides readers with both a comprehensive overview of the changes wrought by the newly-public postal system - from the sounds that one heard to the perception of time and distance - and a thought provoking account of the expectations and desires that have led to our culture of instant communication.

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