The Birth of Nobility

The Birth of Nobility
Author: David Crouch
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2015-10-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 1317878272

For 300 years separate and mutually uncomprehending English and French historiographies have confused the history of medieval aristocracy. Unpicking the basic assumptions behind both national traditions, this book explains them, reconciles them and offers entirely new ways to take the study of aristocracy forward in both England and France. The Birth of Nobility analyses the enormous international field of publications on the subject of medieval aristocracy, breaking it down into four key debates: noble conduct, noble lineage, noble class and noble power. Each issue is subjected to a thorough review by comparing current scholarship with what a vast range of historical source material actually says. It identifies the points of divergence in the national traditions of each of these debates and highlights where they have been mutually incomprehensible. For students studying medieval Europe.

The English Aristocracy, 1070-1272

The English Aristocracy, 1070-1272
Author: David Crouch
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 350
Release: 2011-05-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 0300172125

William the Conqueror's victory in 1066 was the beginning of a period of major transformation for medieval English aristocrats. In this groundbreaking book, David Crouch examines for the first time the fate of the English aristocracy between the reigns of the Conqueror and Edward I. Offering an original explanation of medieval society -- one that no longer employs traditional "feudal" or "bastard feudal" models -- Crouch argues that society remade itself around the emerging principle of nobility in the generations on either side of 1200, marking the beginning of the ancien regime. The book describes the transformation in aristocrats' expectations, conduct, piety, and status; in expressions of social domination; and in the relationship with the monarchy. Synchronizing English social history with non-English scholarship, Crouch places England's experience of change within a broader European transformation and highlights England's important role in the process. With his accustomed skill, Crouch redefines a fascinating era and the noble class that emerged from it.

Entitled

Entitled
Author: Chris Bryant
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 642
Release: 2017-09-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 1473525519

"A proudly partisan history of the British aristocracy - which scores some shrewd hits against the upper class themselves, and the nostalgia of the rest of us for their less endearing eccentricities. A great antidote to Downton Abbey." (Mary Beard) Exploring the extraordinary social and political dominance enjoyed by the British aristocracy over the centuries, Entitled seeks to explain how a tiny number of noble families rose to such a position in the first place. It reveals the often nefarious means they have employed to maintain their wealth, power and prestige and examines the greed, ambition, jealousy and rivalry which drove aristocratic families to guard their interests with such determination. In telling their history, Entitled introduces a cast of extraordinary characters: fierce warriors, rakish dandies, political dilettantes, charming eccentrics, arrogant snobs and criminals who quite literally got away with murder.

The Aristocracy of Norman England

The Aristocracy of Norman England
Author: Judith A. Green
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 532
Release: 2002-08-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780521524650

This book provides the first rounded account of the new ruling elite of England in the century after 1066. It deals with the revolution in landholding by which the old English aristocracy was swept aside, and the nature of aristocratic power, as demonstrated by the control of castles and knights, and lordship over men and land. The book stresses the vitality of aristocratic power throughout the period, particularly during the civil war under King Stephen. The part played by kinship and family in building up and extending influence are emphasised, and a separate chapter is devoted to the crucial role played by women in the transmission of land. The role of aristocratic benefactors in the wave of generosity which brought great wealth to the church is also examined and, finally, the extent to which the newcomers identified themselves with the country they had conquered.

The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy

The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy
Author: David Cannadine
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2005
Genre: Aristocracy (Social class)
ISBN: 9780141023137

At the outset of the 1870s, the British aristocracy could rightly consider themselves the most fortunate people on earth: they held the lion's share of land, wealth and power in the world's greatest empire. By the end of the 1930s they had lost not only a generation of sons in the First World War, but also much of their prosperity, prestige and political significance.David Cannadine shows how this shift came about and how it was reinforced in the aftermath of the Second World War. Lucidly written and sparkling with wit, The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy is a landmark study that dramatically changes our understanding of British social history

Aristocracy and People

Aristocracy and People
Author: Norman Gash
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 392
Release: 1979
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780674044913

One of the foremost scholars of nineteenthâe"century England, Gash has written a new interpretation of the years 1815 to 1865 that takes industrialization off center stage as the great dramatic event in national life. Gash integrates other equally significant changes the postwar slump in trade and manufacturing, the unprecedented expansion of population, and the increasing urbanization. He argues that the singular ability of the industrial revolution to produce wealth and skills enabled England to cope with impending social catastrophe. Gash also reintroduces the importance of politics in explaining events, and he challenges the recent historical interpretations giving primacy to class history and class consciousness.

Aristocrats

Aristocrats
Author: Lawrence James
Publisher: Abacus
Total Pages: 411
Release: 2010-09-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 0748125329

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, ARISTOCRATS is a story of wars, intrigue, chicanery and extremes of both selflessness and greed. James also illuminates how the aristocracy's infatuation with classical art has forged our heritage, how its love of sport has shaped our pastimes and values - and how its scandals have entertained the public. Impeccably researched, balanced and brilliantly entertaining, ARISTOCRATS is an enthralling history of power, influence and an extraordinary knack for survival.

Debating England's Aristocracy in the 1790s

Debating England's Aristocracy in the 1790s
Author: Amanda Goodrich
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2005
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780861932757

The 1790s saw a lively "French Revolution Debate" in England, with much space and intellectual energy, in classic texts by men such as Burke and Paine, and ensuing pamphlet literature, devoted characterisations and representations of the aristocracy; yet this is the first full-scale survey of the subject. Dr Goodrich takes a fresh approach to the topic, illustrating the complexities of the bitter battle fought out in such texts between radicals and loyalists, and highlighting the persistent viciousness and vitriol of a radical anti-aristocratic rhetoric. However, she demonstrates that the loyalist response contained the more innovative campaign, bringing out in particular the development of a commercial loyalism which promoted a new model of society with a modern aristocracy and an open elite; what emerges are English defences of aristocracy which are not simply reducible to ideas of an ancien régime or a Gothic institution. Amanda Goodrich is a lecturer in the history department of the Open University.

The English Aristocracy at War

The English Aristocracy at War
Author: David Simpkin
Publisher: Boydell Press
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2008
Genre: History
ISBN: 1843833883

A new appraisal of the military careers and activities of soldiers from elite medieval families.

Ornamentalism

Ornamentalism
Author: David Cannadine
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2002
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780195157949

Ornamentalism is a vividly evocative account of a vanished era, a major reassessment of Britain and its imperial past, and a trenchant and disturbing analysis of what it means to be a post-imperial nation today.