The Glorious Revolution
Auteur: Brian Best
Uitgever : Pen & Sword Books Ltd
9781526795229
280 pagina’s
In 1688, a vast fleet of 463 ships, twice the size of the Spanish Armada, put to sea from Holland. On board was William of Orange with 40,000 soldiers – their objective, England. The Protestant William had been encouraged by a group of Church of England bishops to risk everything and oust the Catholic King James. He landed at Tor Bay in Devon and soon gathered enough support, including that of John Churchill, the future Duke of Marlborough, to cause King James to flee to France. It had been seen, in the eyes of most in England and Scotland as a ‘Glorious’ Revolution. William ascended the throne along with his wife Mary, the daughter of England’s Charles II, who had preceded James. Though the revolution had been virtually bloodless, William had to fight to keep his crown. Most Irish were Catholics and King William’s armies met stiff opposition there. In this, James saw a chance to regain his crown. Sailing to Ireland, he led his Jacobite troops against William at the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690. James was defeated, ending his hopes of ousting William. There were also large numbers of Catholics in Scotland, but they too were defeated by William’s army at the Battle of Killiecrankie. This, in turn, led to the infamous Massacre of Glencoe. The accession of William and Mary to the throne was a landmark moment in British history, one which saw Parliament emerge into the modern state. In January 1689, two months after the Glorious Revolution, Parliament met and in February a Declaration of Rights was incorporated into the Bill of Rights. This included the measure that the crown could not tax without Parliament’s consent or interfere in elections. William, therefore, is not only known both for being one of England’s most revolutionary kings, but also one of the least remembered.
A new book about stadtholder William of Orange. You think everything has already been said about it, but then a new book pops up and it turns out that not everything has been said and written yet. The book “William of Orange and the Fight for the Crown of England” is an example of it. The book tells us, among other things, the story of William of Orange and the long struggle for the throne of England. So who was William III of Orange?
William Hendrik of Orange was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as stadtholder William III of Orange Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht, from 1675 also Gelre and Zutphen and Overijssel, and finally from 1696 also Drenthe, in the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. From 1689 he reigned as King William III of England and Ireland. Coincidentally, his government number (III) was the same for both Orange and England. As King of Scotland, he was known as William II. He is informally known as King Billy in Ireland and Scotland.In what is now known as the Glorious Revolution, William invaded England on November 5, 1688 in a parliamentary-supported action that eventually deposed King James II and won the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland for him. William ruled the British Isles together with his wife, Mary II, until her death. The period of their joint rule is often referred to as “William and Mary”. Willem was a Protestant and partly because of this he took part in several wars against the powerful Catholic King Louis XIV of France, in coalition with the Protestant and Catholic powers of Europe. Many Protestants proclaimed him a champion of their faith. Largely because of this reputation, William was able to take the British crowns when many feared that Catholicism would revive under James. William’s victory over James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is commemorated by the Order of Orange in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland to this day.
The book gives a good view of the circumstances under which William came to England. It begins with the death of Oliver Cromwell, when the Republicans lost ground and Charles II took the throne. Charles II on the throne proved not to be such a success. James II’s brother had also failed. There was constant conflict and the country rolled from one war to the next. Also, during the reign of William III of Orange. That’s kind of the common thread running through the book. Many wars and struggles are described in it. That is of course also part of the title of the book. But you don’t really learn much about William III of Orange. That is a small minus. Personally, I was lucky enough to have recently read a new Dutch book about him. That knowledge stuck with me and came in use for the view of this book.
However, the author Brian best has written a well researched and readable book. It is easily accessible to everyone. Although you don’t learn too much about William III in the book, the book is instructive about warfare, which is also an important fact from history. The description of the political and war related events were described very clearly by the author. That makes the book interesting and educational. Add to that the author’s pleasant way of writing and you won’t be able to put the book down. You are drawn into it. The book is definitely worth reading.
My thanks go to Publishing House Pen & Sword Books Ltd for providing a review copy.
Book is available at: Pen & Sword Books Ltd, Bol.com, Amazon , Standaardboekhandel, Libris, Bookspot
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