How was Great Britain made? And what does it mean to be British? This brilliant and seminal book examines how a more cohesive British nation was invented after 1707 and how this new national identity was nurtured through war; religion; trade; and empire. Lavishly illustrated and powerful; Britons remains a major contribution to our understanding of Britain’s past; and continues to influence ongoing controversies about this polity’s survival and future. This edition contains an extensive new preface by the author. “A sweeping survey; . . . evocatively illustrated and engagingly written.â€â€•Harriet Ritvo; New York Times Book Review “Challenging; fascinating; enormously well informed.â€â€•John Barrell; London Review of Books “Linda Colley writes with clarity and grace...Her stimulating book will be; and deserves to be influentialâ€â€•E. P. Thompson; Dissent Linda Colley is Shelby M. C. Davis 1958 Professor of History at Princeton University. Winner of the Wolfson History Prize A New York Times Notable Book
#854699 in Books 2008-04-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.82 x 1.54 x 5.92l; 1.84 #File Name: 0300136153640 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. FascinatingBy AnonymousThis is an important history of American metaphysical religion; however; this book is somewhat overwhelming it its scope: being a synthesis of metaphysical religion in from the 1400s through the 20th century. When relevant; Albanese traces the roots of metaphysical thought all the way back to its ancient origins. It is overwhelming not only in scope of time covered; but in the variety of faith movements that are given attention. At times Albanese argues for a specifically Americanized version of metaphysical beliefs rooted in other cultures. Without a conversant knowledge of the foreign manifestations; it can be difficult for the reader to judge how exactly the American version differs; but Albanese always clearly defines what the American version is. This is a very ambition and admirable book; and a transformative work for the field of American religious history.18 of 19 people found the following review helpful. Not for everyone!By Paul GiurlandaAs another reviewer has noted; this is a dense tour of the field. If you're a casual reader of religious matters; you'll find this tough going--it's definitely an academic work; with 80 pages of footnotes. I think the author; who is highly regarded in her field; has done about as good a job as can be done in one book. The material is so voluminous that the book at times reads like a series of encyclopedia entries. She carefully shows the roots of the American "new age" in the Hermetic tradition; the origin of which is itself lost in mist and controversy. If there's a theme; it's that the American appropriation of the metaphysical tradition reflects American optimism and American "combinativeness;" the tendency to take whatever works and use it; regardless of its source. A minor criticism would be that she over-emphasizes the idea of combinativeness. In my view; all philosophies and religions that spill out of one culture or language inevitably do this. If Christianity isn't "combinative;" I don't know what the word means. To conclude: if you consider yourself an intellectual and are interested in the topic; you have to read this book; or at least dip into it to see what Albanese says on a topic.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great!By J. LaurelA dense; incredibly well-researched; fascinating piece of work. It's not my field of research; sometimes goes a bit over my head--but I'd rather have the depth and ability to return as I learn more. From what I can tell (I'm in American literature); likely a revolutionary work in religious history.
