London In The Later Middle Ages: Government And People 1200-1500 Hardcover

Caroline M. Barron

This is the first full account of the evolution of the government of London from the tempestuous days of the Commune in the late twelfth century to the calmer waters of Tudor England. In this three-hundred-year period Londoners learnt how to construct, and to manage, 'self-government at the king's command'. They had to develop ways of negotiating with demanding and very different kings and to devise ways of raising money from citizens which were seen to be fair. London's elected rulers had also to resolve conflicting economic interests, to administer common resources and to protect and enhance the health and well-being of all those who lived in the city. London was by far the most populous and wealthy city in the kingdom, and its practices were widely copied throughout England. It was, as the Londoners claimed in 1339, the 'mirror and example to the whole land'.

9780199257775

English

Oxford University Press, USA

06 May 2004

488

This is a book for which all students of medieval London will be deeply grateful. * Sixteenth Century Journal * Barron's book is a wonderful read, and the epitome of fine historical research and clarity of explanation. It is a reminder that we have ignored the eloquence that great writing on administrative history can achieve. Her mastery of primary source materials, both from London and from the Public Record Office is, breathtaking. * Barbara Hanawalt, Reviews in History * [a] magisterial study... It may be much longer before a more scholarly, richly detailed, and finely structured work appears in this genre. Quite apart from the excellent, solid scholarship packing its pages, the book functions as smoothly as the smartest piece of technology. * Philippa C Maddern, Economic History Review * impressive ... eminently readable ... One of the many great strengths of the book is in its balance between the exposition of the larger context of Barron's analysis and its illustration by individual cases. * Annette Kern-Stahler, Archiv fur das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen *