James II

Profiles in Power

by W.A. Speck

Forced out of power in the"Glorious Revolution" of 1688, and defeated in the subsequent battle of the Boyne by William of Orange, the short reign of James II has an importance that reaches far beyond his three years in power. An ardent Roman Catholic, his efforts to return England to the Catholic faith resonate to this day in Northern Ireland. Similarly, his attacks on the representative institutions that had been developing since the Restoration, alienated an initially enthusiastic parliament. William Speck looks at all these issues through the figure of the King. Far more broad-ranging than other histories of James II, the book examines James' role in the American colonies - assigned to him by his brother Charles II - his role in Scotland between 1679 and 1862, and his final exercise of power in Ireland.

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2002

About the author

William Arthur Speck (born 1938) is a British historian specializing in late 17th and 18th-century British and American history.

Speck was educated at Bradford Grammar School and The Queen's College, Oxford, gaining a BA in 1960 and a D.Phil in 1966. He is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Leeds and a Special Professor in the School of English Studies at the University of Nottingham where he co-convenes an Interdisciplinary Eighteenth-Century Research Seminar.

Reviews

[Emilija · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good, and quick, introduction to James II. As with nearly every book regarding this period, it argues that the rule of James II came down to religion. Maybe James II could have learnt something from his brother, Charles II, who kept his conversion to Catholicism to his deathbed.

I think the way that the European continent’s fight between Catholic France and the Protestant Dutch Republic came to evolve around James II’s reign in England was shown in a very interesting way, and I wish that the book had delved a bit deeper into that, beyond rehashing James’s affiliation with Louis XIV/France in the epilogue.

This book kinda makes you feel for James II, because as the Duke of York, he was at least competent, which is shown by his position in America, with New York and New Jersey being named after him, and James being involved in the politics for a while, but then it all went bad for him. His position in America soured, and he left philosophical and political cracks in New York politics, he effectively ran from his role as King of England and King of Ireland and the Glorious Revolution turned a lot more bloody in Scotland. I had personally thought that James would have received more support in Scotland, due to the Stuart’s being a historically Scottish lineage, and in Ireland, due to the religious tensions.

I really loved the font and layout of the book. It was easy to read, and I really liked that historical documents were in a noticeably different font to the normal text of the book.

[Lezley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to James II, but for a more complete picture also read Steve Pincus "The Glorious Revolution"

[Alannah Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very helpful book for my essay, well it did come highly recommended by my tutor.