The King's Three Faces: The Rise and Fall of Royal America, 1688-1776 [Hardcover]

Brendan McConville (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2006

Reinterpreting the first century of American history, Brendan McConville argues that colonial society developed a political culture marked by strong attachment to Great Britain's monarchs. This intense allegiance continued almost until the moment of independence, an event defined by an emotional break with the king. By reading American history forward from the seventeenth century rather than backward from the Revolution, McConville shows that political conflicts long assumed to foreshadow the events of 1776 were in fact fought out by factions who invoked competing visions of the king and appropriated royal rites rather than used abstract republican rights or pro-democratic proclamations. The American Revolution, McConville contends, emerged out of the fissure caused by the unstable mix of affective attachments to the king and a weak imperial government. Sure to provoke debate, The King's Three Faces offers a powerful counterthesis to the dominant American historiography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A worthwhile book for anyone with a solid interest in the early US. . . . Highly recommended."
— CHOICE

"Inspires a string of adjectives: provocative, original, clever, iconoclastic, and querulous."
— American Historical Review

"Expands commonplace observations about the political tactics of resistance and revolution into a revisionist view of eighteenth-century American development. . . . An interesting book."
— International History Review

"Creative and erudite. . . . Its new perspectives makes it all the more stimulating for historians of early America and beyond."
— William and Mary Quarterly

"Salient and compelling. . . . An important contribution to the field of colonial American history."
— New England Quarterly

"In elucidating the origins of 'the empire's cult of Monarchy,' McConville is at his boldest and most innovative. . . . This innovative and thought-provoking book should be required reading for all those with an interest in the British Atlantic world. It will surely be central to any future discussions of early American politics, religion, popular culture, and the coming of the Revolution."
— Pennsylvania Magazine of History

From the Inside Flap

In a provocative reinterpretation of the first century of American history, McConville argues that colonial society developed a political culture marked by strong attachment to Great Britain's monarchs. This intense allegiance continued almost until the moment of independence, an event defined by an emotional break with the king. By reading American history forward from the 17th century rather than backward from the Revolution, McConville shows that political conflicts long assumed to foreshadow the events of 1776 were in fact fought out by factions who invoked competing visions of the king and appropriated royal rites rather than used abstract republican rights or pro-democratic proclamations. The American Revolution, McConville contends, emerged out of the fissure caused by the unstable mix of affective attachments to the king and a weak imperial government.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 344 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press; First Edition edition (August 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807830658
• ISBN-13: 978-0807830659
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,543,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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