Riot, Rising and Revolution - Governance and Violence in Eighteenth-Century England

Britain in the 18th century was deeply divided - riots over politics, food and religion were endemic. Despite the relative liberty of English institutions, the penal code was the harshest in Europe - stealing a handkerchief was a capital offence. In this history of the 18th century, Sir Ian Gilmour argues that violence usually stemmed from the incompetence or arrogance of the ruling class. Gilmour tells the story of the great rebellions - of Scotland in 1715 and 1745, of Ireland in 1798 - and the famous episodes of Wilkes and Gordon. But he also paints a picture of the vicious discipline of the army, skullduggery at elections, the class violence of industrial struggles, the ritual violence of dueling and the swingeing punishment of poachers....