Entitled

Entitled PDF Author: Chris Bryant
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1473525519
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 642

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Book Description
"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.

Entitled

Entitled PDF Author: Chris Bryant
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1473525519
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 642

Get Book

Book Description
"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 World Before Domesday

The World Before Domesday PDF Author: Ann Williams
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1441121188
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Ann Williams' important new book discusses the dynamics of English aristocratic society in a way that has not been explored before. She investigates the rewards and obligations of status including birth, wealth, the importance of public and royal service and the need to participate in local affairs, especially legal and administrative business. This period saw the birth of a 'lesser aristocracy', the ancestors of the English gentry, the power-house of society and politics in the late medieval and early modern periods. Going on to examine the obligations and rewards of lordship and the relations between lords and their men, Williams illustrates how status was displayed and covers the importance of the manorial house, which was at once a home, an estate centre and a symbol of authority and the insignia of rank in weaponry, clothing and personal adornment. The growing gap between the highest rank of society and the lowest, fuelled by underlying economic developments is also covered. In conclusion she considers some of the occupations which symbolized and perpetuated lordly power. Though the upper levels of aristocratic society were swept away by the Norman settlement, the 'lesser aristocracy' had a much higher rate of survival and it was this group who began the manorialization of English society, familiar from the late medieval period.

The English Nobility in the Late Middle Ages

The English Nobility in the Late Middle Ages PDF Author: Chris Given-Wilson
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134751419
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
First Published in 2004. Four things dominated the life of the mediaeval noble: warfare, politics, land and family. It is with these central themes that this book is concerned. It encompasses the whole of the upper segment of the late medieval society; examines the relation of social status and political influence; describes the noble household and council; examines in detail the territorial and familial policies pursued by great landholders; emphasises the inter-relationship of local and national affairs; is arranged thematically, making it ideal for student use and has implications for the whole medieval period.

Aristocrats

Aristocrats PDF Author: Lawrence James
Publisher: Abacus
ISBN: 0748125329
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 411

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Book Description
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.

The English Aristocracy, 1070-1272

The English Aristocracy, 1070-1272 PDF Author: David Crouch
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300172125
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 343

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Book Description
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.

The English Aristocracy at War

The English Aristocracy at War PDF Author: David Simpkin
Publisher: Boydell Press
ISBN: 1843833883
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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

The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy

The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy PDF Author: David Cannadine
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Upper class
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


Aspects of Aristocracy

Aspects of Aristocracy PDF Author: David Cannadine
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300059816
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 372

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Book Description
He reconstructs the extraordinary financial history of the dukes of Devonshire, narrates the story of the Cozens-Hardys, a Norfolk family who played a remarkably varied part in the life of their county, and offers a controversial reappraisal of the forebears, lives, work, and personalities of Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West - a portrait, notes Cannadine, of more than a marriage.

The Image of Aristocracy

The Image of Aristocracy PDF Author: David Crouch
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134977948
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
David Crouch provides a broad definition of aristorcracy by examining the ways aristocrats behaved and lived between 1000 and 1300. He analyses life-style, class and luxurious living in those years. A distinctive feature of the book is that it takes a British, rather than Anglocentric, view - looking at the penetration of Welsh and Scottish society by Anglo-French ideas of aristocracy.

The English and the Norman Conquest

The English and the Norman Conquest PDF Author: Ann Williams
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd
ISBN: 9780851157085
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
A study of the experiences of the lesser English lords and landowners at the time of the Norman conquest and the aftermath