England, 1870-1914, (The Oxford history of England) [Hardcover]

Robert Charles Kirkwood Ensor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1968 | Series: The Oxford history of England

First published in 1936, this now-classic volume spans a time of rapid and far-reaching change in England--from Gladstone's first ministry, through the great contest with Disraeli, the Home Rule debate, the establishment of the Labour moverment, the Boer War, and the Liberal reforms of 1909-10, to the end of an era marked by the catastrophe of 1914. With stimulating analyses of social and economic developments as well as domestic and foreign policy, Ensor's account serves as a superb introduction to the period it covers and offers insight into the world of the 1930s in which it was written.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It would be difficult to praise this book too highly. Packed with information, the narrative is throughout lucid and vivid; from cover to cover I had not lighted on a dull page."--Sunday Times (London)

"A work of quite outstanding merit....It deserves the widest possible audience for the high qualitites it reveals on every page."--New Statesman

"In short, what we have here is a classic."--The History Teacher

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

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--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 634 pages
• Publisher: Clarendon Press (1968)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0007IYLQO
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and Lively, December 11, 2011

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This review is from: England 1870-1914 (Oxford History of England) (Hardcover)

First published in 1936, the author, whose age at the time of writing I don't know, may have benefited from personal or family knowledge of many of the events and personalities he describes. Perhaps for this reason the personalities of the major players are drawn vividly: characters like Balfour, Asquith, Joe Chamberlain who played a major part in the convoluted politics of the nineties and Edwardian era.

It seems to me this was a period of incredibly complex change: the end of the mid-Victorian sobriety, the end of Britain as an agricultural nation, the end of the hegemony of devout Christianity, the frenzied pace of reform and the development of infrastructure, and the increasingly claustrophobic atmosphere of European politics as the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of German nationalism threatened the status quo.

Ensor is very fair to everyone, perhaps with a slight liberal bias, but strong Tory characters like Disraeli come out well, though he's not a massive fan of Salisbury, whose diplomatic skills are perhaps underrated.

Ensor's greatest strength though is his absolute mastery of the detail of parliamentary activity and legislative change, where his approach is encyclopaedic.

I agree with the other reviewer (on Amazon.co.uk), Ensor is a pleasure to read, his attention to his material is unfailing.