England's Glorious Revolution was far more sanguinary and
disruptive than traditional histories and the popular imagination
would have it, argues Vallance (Early Modern History/Univ. of
Liverpool).The author hasn't entirely shed dissertation-ese in his
first book, a sometimes stodgy and generally humorless, though
otherwise sensible and sturdy effort. Britain's King James II,
converted to Roman Catholicism, endeavored to liberate Catholics
around the British Isles, causing many to wonder if the Isles were
slated for more rounds of heresy-hunting, burnings and forced
conversions. The birth of James's son with his Catholic second
queen prompted the final crisis, since it would prevent the throne
from passing to James's Protestant daughters from his first
marriage. When William of Orange, husband of elder daughter Mary,
invaded England from Holland, many Britons cheered. James raised an
army of opposition but little other support; even his younger
daughter, Anne, slipped out of London and allied with William and
Mary. James declined his chance to fight - hence the revolution's
reputation as bloodless. He ran, was captured and practically had
to be forced to "escape" by his Dutch guards, who simply wanted
James out of the country so William and Mary could assume the
throne without messy complications. Anne returned to reign
following their deaths; after her, George I established the
Hanoverian line and kept Britain safely Protestant, not to mention
newly considerate of Parliament. Vallance excels at showing how the
emerging press played a pivotal role in the transition, wryly
noting the influence of both booze and coffee on the populace's
fiery political fervor. The author also reminds us that the
revolution was far from bloodless in Ireland and Scotland, where
religious passions ran deep and the ultimate political settlements
were "far more divisive." Among Vallance's few light moments: a
funny word portrait of famously ugly King William.Provocative
dissenting view on a major historical event, but it could have used
a lighter touch and a breath of wit. (Kirkus Reviews)
In 1688, a group of leading politicians invited the Dutch prince
William of Orange over to England to challenge the rule of the
catholic James II. When James's army deserted him he fled to
France, leaving the throne open to William and Mary. During the
following year a series of bills were passed which many believe
marked the triumph of constitutional monarchy as a system of
government. In this radical new interpretation of the Glorious
Revolution, Edward Vallance challenges the view that it was a
bloodless coup in the name of progress and wonders whether in fact
it created as many problems as it addressed. Certainly in Scotland
and Ireland the Revolution was characterised by warfare and
massacre. Beautifully written, full of lively pen portraits of
contemporary characters and evocative of the increasing climate of
fear at the threat of popery, this new book fills a gap in the
popular history market and sets to elevate Edward Vallance to the
highest league of popular historians.
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