Home › Books › The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary…
The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689
by
97/99
Critics' Rating Index
70/99
Readers' Rating Index
82/99
Scholars' Citation Index
89/99
Volume of Reviews
74/99
Volume of Reader Ratings
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
A fresh, exciting, "readable and informative " history ( The New York Times ) of seventeenth-century England, a time of revolution when society was on fire and simultaneously forging the modern world . • "Recapture[s] a lost moment when a radically democratic commonwealth seemed possible."—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker "[Healy] makes a convincing argument that the turbulent era qualifies as truly 'revolutionary,' not simply because of its cascading political upheavals, but in terms of far-reaching changes within society.... Wryly humorous and occasionally bawdy"— The Wall Street Journal The seventeenth century was a revolutionary age for the English. It started as they suddenly found themselves ruled by a Scotsman, and it ended in the shadow of an invasion by the Dutch. Under James I, England suffered terrorism and witch panics. Under his son Charles, state and society collapsed into civil war, to be followed by an army coup and regicide. For a short time—for the only time in history—England was a republic. There were bitter struggles over faith and Parliament asserted itself like never before. There were no boundaries to politics. In fiery, plague-ridden London, in coffee shops and alehouses, new ideas were forged that were angry, populist, and almost impossible for monarchs to control. But the story of this century is less well known than it should be. Myths have grown around key figures. People may know about the Gunpowder Plot and the Great Fire of London, but the Civil War is a half-remembered mystery to many. And yet the seventeenth century has never seemed more relevant. The British constitution is once again being bent and contorted, and there is a clash of ideologies reminiscent of when Roundhead fought Cavalier. The Blazing World is the story of this strange, twisting, fascinating century. It shows a society in sparkling detail. It was a new world of wealth, creativity, and daring curiosity, but also of greed, pugnacious arrogance, and colonial violence.
Reviews
"He writes with pace and fire and an unusually sharp sense of character and humor ..."
"Healey's elegant narrative provides a sure guide through the century's labyrinthine political intrigues while analyzing deeper social dynamics that he crystallizes in dramatic scenes of hierarchies being suddenly upended ..."
"A clearsighted narrative of 17th-century England, deftly integrating original and insightful analysis of underlying social phenomena and expressing his enthusiasm in brisk, wryly humorous and occasionally bawdy prose ..."
"Healey is excellent on the culture wars that made eyes swivel over such issues as sports on Sunday and decorations in church ..."
"It is light on analysis, but rich with anecdotes and explanations."
"He tackles big subjects – religious dissent, the legal system – but hitches them to piquant stories about individuals previously unknown to history ..."
"Against this daunting background Jonathan Healey's book is an impressive achievement."
"Healey ably chronicles the suspenseful buildup to the shocking regicide of 1649 ..."
"As foreign as that lace-collared and buckle-shoed period of antique history may seem to us, we're still very much in that moment, even as it passes."
Preview
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!