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The History of England from the Accession of James IIis a work of epic scale covering only a short period of history. Hebriefly sketches out Britain's history up until the Civil War andthen he focuses more closely on the Stuart Kings leading up to amoment that he considers pivotal, that being 'The GloriousRevolution' of 1688. It's a history that looks back on the growth ofLiberalism (or Whiggism) as the culmination of all that England couldwant or hope to be. It has been criticised many times for this narrowfocus but frankly this sells Macaulay's work short.
He is a great writer who gives out his history as a grandperformance. It is Macaulay who popularised history to such an extentthat his books became ubiquitous throughout the homes of the literateduring the Victorian era. His language is glorious, his rhetoric, aweinspiring, his vision, delightful.
Explore the 17th century andlet Macaulay be your guide. You won't regret it.
(Summary by JimMowatt)
This project is still in progress. When it is complete, therewill be a total of 25 chapters. As each chapter is finished, the linkto its catalog page will be added to this menu.