Aristocrats Power, Grace, and Decadence: Britain's Great Ruling Classes from 1066 to the Present

Name: Aristocrats Power, Grace, and Decadence: Britain's Great Ruling Classes from 1066 to the Present
Price: 6.75 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780312583798

ISBN-10: 0312583796

ISBN-13: 9780312583798

Edition: N/A

Authors: Lawrence James

List price: $26.99

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By the author of the acclaimedThe Rise and Fall of the British Empire comes a "grand tour of the lives and impact of this truly remarkable breed." (The Washington Times) Aristocracy means "rule by the best." For nine hundred years, the British aristocracy has considered itself ideally qualified to rule others, make laws, and guide the fortunes of the nation. Tracing the history of this remarkable supremacy, Aristocratsis a story of civil wars, conquests, intrigue, chicanery, and extremes of both selflessness and greed. Lawrence James also illuminates how the aristocracy's infatuation with classical art has forged English heritage, how its love of sport has shaped its pastimes and values,…

Book details

List price: $26.99
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: 6/21/2011
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 448
Size: 5.50" wide x 8.25" long x 0.75" tall
Weight: 0.836
Language: English

Lawrence James writes history for the general reader. He is the author of The Savage Wars: British Campaigns in Africa, 1870-1920, The Golden Warrior: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia, and, most recently, Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. He lives in St Andrews where he is a part-time tutor at the University.



Acknowledgements


Introduction



Ascendancy: 1066-1603



A Game of Dice: The Growth of Aristocratic Power



Manners with Virtue: The Cult of Chivalry and the Culture of the Aristocracy



Their Plenty was Our Scarcity: Resistance



Weeds Which Must Be Mown Down: The Wars of the Roses 1450-87



As a True Knight: Honour and Violence and the Wars of the Roses



In Foolish Submission: Irish and Scottish Aristocracies



Obeyed and Looked Up To: The Tudors and Their Lords



Stir Up Your Fame: A New Breed of Noblemen



Equilibrium: 1603-1815



I Honour the King as Much as I Love Parliament: The Road to Civil War



A Circular Motion: Revolution and Restoration 1642-60



Signal Deliverances: Restoration 1660-85



The People Assembled and Freely Chose Them: The Glorious Revolution and After



I'll Share the Fate of My Prince: Jacobites



Magnificence: Grand Houses and Grand Tours



Public Character: The Aristocratic Century 1714-1815



A Fair Kingdom: Fame, Taste and Fashion



We Come for Pheasants: Peers and Poachers



A Gang of Ruffians: Americans and Aristocracy



The Aristocrat to Quell: Peers, Patriots and Paineites 1789-1815



Decline: 1815



Rats: Crisis and Compromise



Thoroughbred: Sport and Manliness



The Surrender of Feudalism to Industry: The Mid-Victorian Peerage 1846-87



Revolvers Prominently Displayed: The Downfall of the Irish Aristocracy



Like Chaff Before Us: Hanging On 1887-1914



Dangers and Honours: War, Empire and the Aristocracy



Always Keep Hold of Nurse: Aristocratic Twilight


Notes


Bibliography


Index