London and the 17th Century: The Making of the World's Greatest City

by Margarette Lincoln, Christine Rendel (Reader)

The first comprehensive history of seventeenth-century London, told through the lives of those who experienced it The Gunpowder Plot, the Civil Wars, Charles I's execution, the Plague, the Great Fire, the Restoration, and then the Revolution of 1688: the seventeenth century was one of the most momentous times in the history of Britain, and Londoners took center stage. In this fascinating account, Margarette Lincoln charts the impact of national events on an ever-growing citizenry with its love of pageantry, spectacle, and enterprise. Lincoln looks at how religious, political, and financial tensions were fomented by commercial ambition, expansion, and hardship. In addition to events at court and in parliament, she evokes the remarkable figures of the period, including Shakespeare, Bacon, Pepys, and Newton, and draws on diaries, letters, and wills to trace the untold stories of ordinary Londoners. Through their eyes, we see how the nation emerged from a turbulent century poised to become a great maritime power with London at its heart--the greatest city of its time.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

Audio CD

Published September 27, 2022

About the author

Margarette Lincoln was director of research and collections and, from 2001, deputy director of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. She is now a visiting fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Reviews

[Ben Vos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty plus years ago I got a BA in History from King's College London. My dissertation was on the morals and manners of late 17th century London. This century and this city were at the heart of much of the rest of my degree. Both have been focuses of my interest, ever since.

This is a good all-round account and to my surprise (perhaps I thought I was more expert than I am), there was quite a lot I didn't know.

Even accepting that history degrees sometimes skip over matters military and violent, the detail here on street fighting and deaths at the hands of soldiery was fresh to me; the tension and uncertainty behind the violence was something that perhaps I didn't appreciate in full.

There is a massive amount of reading that has gone into this book. There is no detail of character of the royal protagonists that I disagreed with. The conscious inclusion of detail on black and female personalities was useful. However, I would like to have read more about some of the major players at court and find it surprising given that many of them were female (Louise de Keroualle, Barbara Villiers etc), they didn't make the cut here. There are lots of small anecdotes and details which are enjoyable, as one can justly expect from a book about this period of
delight and fascination with the world.

I felt somehow that the authors were less than excited by the subject, more that they appreciated its importance. But that's OK! Being able to explain the social roots and contemporary usefulness of the Royal Society and the Bank of England is quite enough.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive and interesting summary of London in the 17th century which, given the amount of ground it covers, moves fairly quickly. I think it does a great job of giving enough, but not too much, information on a very wide range of issues (including things very relevant even today such as the establishment of the Bank of England). It's probably a book to read more than once to take in all the information.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book. Super interesting

[Pig Rieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I only listened to this one on Hoopla.

If you’re interested in 17th century London, this is a great book! Lincoln does a great job of surveying London from the highest echelons of society and politics to the lives of street vendors and windows. The authors use of historical details and quotes grounds the narrative while not allowing it to get bogged down in historical malaise. While I don’t think I agree with all of Lincoln’s analysis, it is a fine work.