This Realm of England 1399-1688

A History of England #2

by Lacey Baldwin Smith

This text, which is the second volume in the best-selling History of England series, tells how a small and insignificant outpost of the Roman empire evolved into a nation that has produced and disseminated so many significant ideas and institutions. The Eighth Edition incorporates more women's history, while continuing to provide balanced political and economic coverage with social and cultural history woven throughout.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature, Textbooks, School, Medieval, European History

419 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Lacey Baldwin Smith was an historian and author specializing in 16th century England. He was the author of Henry VIII: The Mask of Royalty and Catherine Howard: A Tudor Tragedy, among other books.

Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Smith taught at Princeton University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Northwestern University. He received two Fulbright awards, two National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and other awards.He was considered one of the “big name” historians, yet his writing was considered to be as entertaining as it was erudite. He lived in Vermont during his retirement, dying at Greensboro at the age of 90.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1972.

Reviews

[Kristin]

Ugh. I assigned this for my British history course on another professor's recommendation and have regretted it from day one. This is not a history of England as much as it is a rather opinionated commentary on English history. I know this history and I find myself somewhat confused by Smith's breezy glossing-over of historical events and trends - I can only imagine how my students felt as they tried to slog through it. If you want to know what happened in English history during the late medieval and early modern periods, this text is not for you. If you are a specialist in this material and want to read an opinionated take by another specialist, then you might enjoy it. I enjoyed bits of it, but not for the purpose for which I chose it. I know that I will never, ever assign this to undergraduates again.

[Michael]

I used this book as a TA for a class on English history from 1066 to 1690 or so. Obviously, this doesn't cover the earlier portion of that, but for the most part, students didn't seem to need a text for the medieval period as much as they did for the entry into "modernity" with all its attendant complexities. Because this covers the transition, the early chapters do explain some of the concepts necessary for an understanding of medieval history, but it's main thrust begins with the disputation of succession and the rise of new classes and industries. It is a synthesis text, as you would expect, and demonstrates the questions historians have raised, as we as the changes in interpretation over time and some of the sources used to find answers. It is not, of course, as detailed as a monograph on a specific area would be, but it has the advantage of being clearly written so that undergrads can follow the narrative without being tricked into thinking that what is laid down is "absolute" truth. Certain sections, such as that on Elizabeth I, are very detailed and informative, while others, such as the discussion of Richard III, are fairly general and reflect what one might find elsewhere. In general, however, this is a very useful tool for introducing the period to readers not accustomed to higher-level academic discussion.

[Kellie]

I feel like this one was a lot of 'fluff' compared to the first book in this series. It also drew a lot of attention to very random points of this time in history, while quickly blazing through maybe more important ones. I've also never seen the word 'niggardly' used so much, if ever, in one book. I know this term means something different than what it sounds like, but Smith couldn't find ANY other words to use in its place??

[Rick Chollett]

Very informative on English history!

[Lauren Stoolfire]

I definitely skipped around with This Realm of England, 1399 to 1688 (A History of England #2) by Lacey Baldwin Smith to check out the sections of times and events I found myself more interested in, but overall this textbook is a slog. I probably would have given it 2 stars if it weren't for a previous owner's notes and commentary in the margins. Sometimes that actually held my attention more than the rest of the book.

[Jeffrey Williams]

This book was a challenge compared to the first book in the series, "The Making of England" by C. Warren Hollister. The Hollister book had a lot of facts, a little bit of humor, and kept things pretty close to the historical timeline.

While I expected a few changes in narrative style as the next book in the series, Lacey Baldwin Smith did not do justice to the subject matter. There was a lot of opinion in this volume, which made it often difficult to separate from facts. If this wasn't part of a series, I'd skip this one.

[Ember Air]

I felt the writing style of this one was much flashier than the previous one and as a result conveyed half the information in the same amount of pages. I am still giving it three stars because it does cover a good amount and usually showed both sides of the story.

[John]

Rated: F

[sologdin]

I think this qualifies as a textbook, and is therefore tertiary rather than secondary. that said, i found it a useful guide for an undergraduate course up to the glorious revolution.

[Gerry]

Now to find the rest of the books -

[James Violand]

A great history for the period. Used during my English History classes in college long ago.

[Jack Coleman]

Aquired library book sale.
Good read