Synopsis
England was the most centralised state in medieval Europe. The circumstances of the Norman Conquest and the development of the Common Law had conferred a unique degree of jurisdictional uniformity. The Tudors built on this situation, reducing all the remaining franchises, including that of the Church. Without a jurisdictional foundation, the power of the nobility came increasingly to rely upon the Court, and office under the Crown. However, sixteenth-century England was not monolithic. The Achilles heel of the Tudor monarchy was finance, and without a discretionary revenue system there could be no professional bureaucracy. Consequently the secret of Tudor success was to work in partnership with the local elites rather than to emasculate them. Nor was the early modern England homogeneous. The state not only embraced entirely distinct cultures in Wales, Ireland and the Channel Islands but also considerable variations of custom and attitude within England itself. Governing such a society required a sensitive awareness of the possible, and the Tudors possessed to an outstanding degree.
Booknews
Examines the history of late medieval England, the most centralized and unified monarchy in Europe. Addresses the success of the Tudor dynasty in working in partnership with the local elites, and its ability to embrace entirely distinct cultures, such as Ireland and Wales. Chapters focus on topics such as the nature of authority, the royal commissions, and regional and provincial identity. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.