A Polite and Commercial People: England 1727-1783 (New Oxford History of England)

Product Description

The first volume of Sir George Clark’s
Oxford History of England was published in 1934, and over 50 years that series established itself as a standard reference for hundreds of thousands of readers.
The New Oxford History of England, of which this is the first volume, is its successor.

In this, the most authoritative, comprehensive general history of England between the accession of George II and the loss of America, Paul Langford merges conflicting images of the 18th century into a coherent picture to reveal the true character of the age. Conventional views of the 18th century emphasize its political stability, aristocratic government, stately manners, and Georgian elegance. But Langford reveals another aspect of the times–a less orderly world of treasonous plots, rioting mobs, and Hogarthian vulgarity. Using the latest research and a wealth of techniques culled from a variety of disciplines, he tells an absorbing tale of remarkable contrasts and changes. An age often seen in static terms is brought to life with all its contradictions and tensions revealed.

Review

“The publication of the first volume of the New Oxford History of England series, under the general editorship of J.M. Roberts, is something of an awesome event.”–
London Review of Books

“The New Oxford History of England is off to a grand start. There could be no better example of the best in historical scholarship; Langford’s is impeccable. His selection of material, the arrangement of the subject matter, and the seamless prose make this a must for English scholars and a jewel in the library of the general reader.”–
History: Reviews of New Books

“[The New Oxford History of England’s] first volume is a carefully crafted product…and it engagingly evokes the period.”–
Albion

From the Back Cover

It is the story of a transformation, or rather a series of transformations. Politeness and commerce were already hackneyed terms in the 1730s, and Blackstone’s expression would still have seemed appropriate in the 1780s.

About the Author

Paul Langford is Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford.