England and its Rulers has established itself as an attractive and authoritative account of English history from 1066. For this third edition, three new... chapters have been added, the bibliography and suggested further reading sections have been fully updated, and additions and amendments have been made throughout. New edition of the standard introduction to this popular period of English history. Assesses the reigns of successive monarchs including William the Conqueror, Henry I, Richard the Lionheart, and King John. Includes an epilogue on the reign of Edward I (1272-1307). Three new chapters examine the social and economic history of the period and the British dimension of English history.

Booker Prize Finalist"Wickedly funny." --The New York TimesImagine an England where all the pubs are quaint,  where the Windsors behave themselves... (mostly), where the cliffs of Dover are actually white, and where Robin Hood and his merry men really are merry.  This is precisely what visionary tycoon, Sir Jack Pitman, seeks to accomplish on the Isle of Wight, a "destination" where tourists can find replicas of Big Ben (half size), Princess Di's grave, and even Harrod's (conveniently located inside the tower of London).Martha Cochrane, hired as one of  Sir Jack's resident "no-people," ably assists him in realizing his dream.  But when this land of make-believe gradually gets horribly and hilariously out of hand, Martha develops her own vision of the perfect England.  Julian Barnes delights us with a novel that is at once a philosophical inquiry, a burst of mischief, and a moving elegy about authenticity and nationality.

In his new text, Derek Hirst, one of the foremost living historians of seventeenth-century England, has created a wholesale revision of his classic... Authority and Conflict and draws on a decade of new research that has appeared since the original book to produce a wholly fresh work. Centered around ambiguities of community in early modern England, the text enlivens debates over revisionism, Puritanism, the church, and witchcraft while at the same time making sense of the complexities of crisis and continuity. Derek Hirst is William Eliot Smith Professor of History at Washington University, St. Louis. In his new text, Derek Hirst, one of the foremost living historians of seventeenth-century England, has created a wholesale revision of his classic Authority and Conflict and draws on a decade of new research that has appeared since the original book to produce a wholly fresh work. Centered around ambiguities of community in early modern England, the text enlivens debates over revisionism, Puritanism, the church, and witchcraft while at the same time making sense of the complexities of crisis and continuity. In his new text, Derek Hirst, one of the foremost living historians of seventeenth-century England, has created a wholesale revision of his classic Authority and Conflict and draws on a decade of new research that has appeared since the original book to produce a wholly fresh work. Centered around ambiguities of community in early modern England, the text enlivens debates over revisionism, Puritanism, the church, and witchcraft while at the same time making sense of the complexities of crisis and continuity. "A superb book...Explains the 'British Problem' with authority and conviction. And the subtlety of approach and the delightful writing make a very rewarding 'must' for all those who seek to understand England, 1603-1660."—Jenny Wormald, C.E. Hodge Fellow and Tutor in Modern History, St Hilda's College, Oxford"One of the most informed, balanced and—especially on the 1640s and 1650s—most enriching of early modern survey books. Building on the foundations of that book, Derek Hirst has now enhanced and broadened the account in ways that make England in Conflict as much a book for the first decade of the next millennium as (his) Authority and Conflict was a book for the 1980s and 1990s."—John Morrill, Professor of British and Irish History, University of Cambridge

This fully updated new edition features illuminating text written by expert, local writers alongside over 250 brand new and inspiring full-colour... photographs that will bring England's diverse people and places to life, at the turn of a page. The top attractions are highlighted in a dedicated, illustrated feature enabling you to plan your trip priorities and ensuring you see the very best England has to offer, from the striking landscape of the Lake District to the historical Tower of London. A brand new 'Editor's Choice' section features exclusive recommendations on many unique English travel experiences, including the finest stately homes, the loveliest gardens and the top attractions for families. An in-depth 'Places' section covers the entire country, from the bright lights of London to the vast wilderness of Northumbria. All the principal sites are conveniently cross-referenced by number to accompanying full-colour maps throughout the guide to enable instant orientation and easy navigation at a glance. You will also find a fascinating exploration of the country's long and intriguing history, from conquest and conflict, civil war and industrial revolution to modern times and the end of empire, alongside attractive, colour-coded features covering everything from country pubs to West Country Writers. In this guide you will also find detailed floor plans for some of England's most infamous cathedrals and other top sites, also a useful map of the London Underground. A comprehensive 'Travel Tips' section provides essential practical information, covering transport, accommodation for all budgets, eating out, the arts, shopping and much more, along with useful contact telephone numbers to help you book activities in advance. The unique combination of insightful exploration alongside practical advice means that this guide truly is a pleasure to read before, during and after your visit.

This is a comprehensive account of politics, government and society in thirteenth-century England. Three episodes stand out: the revolt of the barons... against King John in 1215, the protest against the misgovernment of Henry III which began in 1258, and the resistance to the demands of Edward I on the resources of the land that came to a head in 1297. These political events are placed in the context of social and economic change, in order to provide a rounded account of the century. The introduction demonstrates the constitutional importance given by past historians to the period that saw the framing of Magna Carta and the beginnings of Parliament and statute law. The central chapters describe the developing social structure of peasants, townsmen and professional people, knights, clergy and lay magnates. The book finally sees the politics of the century in terms of royal ambitions to dominate Britain and to play a leading role in Europe.

England on Edge deals with the collapse of the government of Charles I, the disintegration of the Church of England, and the accompanying cultural panic... that led to civil war. Focused on the years 1640 to 1642, it examines stresses and fractures in social, political, and religious culture, and the emergence of an unrestrained popular press. Hundreds of people not normally seen in historical surveys make appearances here, in a drama much larger than the struggle of king and parliament. Historians commonly assert that royalists and parliamentarians parted company over issues of principle, constitutional scruples, and religious belief, but a more complex picture emerges from the environment of anxiety, mistrust, and fear. Rather than seeing England's revolutionary transformation as a product of the civil war, as has been common among historians, David Cressy finds the world turned upside down in the two years preceding the outbreak of hostilities. The humbling of Charles I, the erosion of the royal prerogative, and the rise of an executive parliament were central features of the revolutionary drama of 1640-1642. The collapse of the Laudian ascendancy, the splintering of the established church, the rise of radical sectarianism, and the emergence of an Anglican resistance all took place in these two years before the beginnings of bloodshed. The world of public discourse became rapidly energized and expanded, in counterpoint with an exuberantly unfettered press and a deeply traumatized state. These linked processes, and the disruptive contradictions within them, made this a time of shaking and of prayer. England's elite encountered multiple transgressions, some more imagined than real, involving lay encroachments on the domain of the clergy, lowly intrusions into matters of state, the city clashing with the court, the street with institutions of government, and women undermining the territories of men. The simultaneity, concatenation, and cumulative, compounding effect of these disturbances added to their ferocious intensity, and helped to bring down England's ancien regime. This was the revolution before the Revolution, the revolution that led to civil war.