THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION OF 1688

by Maurice Ashley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1967

The revolution in question deposed King James II of England and put his nephew and brother-in-law, Prince William of Orange, on the throne. Ashley rejects two prevalent views of this upheaval: as a triumph for constitutional law and liberty, or as a manifestation of slow shifts in class structure. Instead he approaches it in terms of the kings themselves, their ideals, self-interests and decisions. This old, familiar kind of emphasis gets a new twist: James isn't the villain after all. Stupid yet admirable, he ""sacrificed the throne for his policy of religious toleration."" What the reader gets is a blow-by-blow account of a royal power struggle, intramural and international. Not to be confused with English history. For a small audience, by a distinguished Cambridge student of the period, a graceful study whose biases are forthright and piquant.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Scribners

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION