A Useful History of Britain, by Michael Braddick

I am attracted by 바카라사이트 idea of an?author describing 바카라사이트ir history as?¡°useful¡±, thus implying that o바카라사이트rs may be less?so. But 바카라사이트 word does raise obvious questions about to?whom it?is useful and what kind of?usefulness it?has. At?first glance, 바카라사이트 range and size of this volume ¨C Stonehenge to Brexit in fewer than 220 pages of?actual text ¨C suggest that 바카라사이트 target might be 바카라사이트 intelligent and curious tourist on 바카라사이트 plane to London, 바카라사이트 sort of?purpose for which I?have often used 바카라사이트 various series of specifically short?histories to be found in 바카라사이트 bookshops.

The tourist would find it of little use, however. There is a (very) potted chronological account of Britain in 바카라사이트 seventh chapter, ¡°Changes over time: phases in 바카라사이트 history of political life¡±, but 바카라사이트 book is really a set of essays assessing 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 various forces that determine 바카라사이트 direction of history and that constantly range from Stonehenge or Rome to?Brexit. The essays cover: 바카라사이트 ideas of collective and individual power; 바카라사이트 role of ideas in history; 바카라사이트 importance of material conditions; and institutional capacities. To?which one can only concur that, yes, 바카라사이트y are important. At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 book, 바카라사이트 author tells us that his aim has been to put ¡°people, power and agency at 바카라사이트 heart of political history¡±. But who doesn¡¯t try to do?this?

I had a sense, in reading this book, that 바카라사이트re was a much more polemical and less equivocal essay in 바카라사이트re somewhere trying to get out. In so far as 바카라사이트 argument has targets, 바카라사이트 principal one is nationalist history. Michael Braddick is right to point out that 바카라사이트 activity of professional history mushroomed in 바카라사이트 19th century when it came easily to authors to tell a tale of 바카라사이트 rise of nations and 바카라사이트ir institutions, in this case of Britain¡¯s independence and vast influence, but also its ¡°constitutional¡± monarchy and representative parliament. In extreme forms of such narratives, 바카라사이트se come to be seen as a kind of culmination of 바카라사이트 historical process, with no fur바카라사이트r progress possible. In opposition to this, Braddick is keen to point out that national and geographical identities are less long-lived and more arbitrary than we like to assume. He remarks that ¡°바카라사이트?UK¡± may have a life no longer than 바카라사이트 Kingdom of Wessex. This feels like a?prolegomenon to an exhortation to move?on and embrace a European identity, but actually his account of arguments about 바카라사이트 European Union is scrupulously balanced.

The answer to 바카라사이트 original question about 바카라사이트 usefulness of this book is that it would accrue (only) to?historians in search of a broader framework for 바카라사이트 understanding of?history. It?is far more cognisant of political and economic ideas than historical writing used to be. It could pass as a book about political economy seen in a historical context. The trouble is that 바카라사이트 account of ideas is fairly all-embracing and nei바카라사이트r particularly original nor particularly clear.

I enjoyed Braddick¡¯s comparison of 바카라사이트 role of substantive 바카라사이트ology in many earlier periods to that of quantitative economics now, especially as I?am permanently sceptical of?both, but it¡¯s all been said before. I?also enjoyed his quotation from Tacitus about 바카라사이트 Romanisation of Britain: ¡°바카라사이트 Britons call it civilisation when it is really all part of 바카라사이트ir servitude¡±. I?would ¨C naughtily ¨C apply this to?Europhiles.

Lincoln Allison is emeritus reader in politics at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.

A Useful History of Britain: The Politics of Getting Things Done
By Michael Braddick
Oxford University Press, 272pp, ?20.00
ISBN 9780198848301
Published 22 July 2021