Audiobook · read by volunteers
History of England, from the Accession of James II - (Volume 2, Chapter 09)
Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800–1859)
Read by Jim Mowatt, Rosalind Wills, Kathy Jacobs, John Lieder, Robin Cotter, Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014), Estragon, Kirsten Ferreri, Justin Brett · 19 chapters · 5 h 19
About the book
In the autumn of 1688, a fleet sets out from the Netherlands carrying a Dutch army. It is bound for England, and its commander is William of Orange. This chapter of Macaulay’s History of England follows the invasion from the first preparations to the landing, and shows how James II’s government struggled to respond.
The story is told with a sense of suspense, as the wind, the tides and the loyalty of the king’s own officers become decisive. Macaulay also draws on the manoeuvres of European powers, whose interests were deeply bound up with what happened in England.
In nineteen parts and a little over five hours, this account of the arrival of William is one of the most dramatic stretches of the whole work. Perfect for listeners who enjoy narrative history told by a writer who relished a great scene.
Introduction
Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859) was a British historian and statesman whose History of England from the Accession of James the Second was among the most successful history books of the nineteenth century. It began to appear in 1848 and, in its readability, sold far beyond the circle of specialists. Macaulay wanted to tell the story of the English past in a way that would engage a broad public, and he used the techniques of the novelist to do so.
Chapter 9 of the second volume deals with a central episode of the story, the invasion of England by William, the Dutch Stadtholder, who later became King William III of England. The chapter covers part of that invasion, including the preparations on the Dutch side and the unsettled state of England as the news arrived. It is a chapter that combines diplomacy, military detail and political calculation, and Macaulay is attentive to each of these.
The events of late 1688 are known in English history as the Glorious Revolution, a name that reflects the view that it was achieved with little bloodshed and led to a constitutional settlement. Later historians have often stressed the role of foreign troops and the complexity of the circumstances, but Macaulay’s account remains a classic.
This recording has nineteen parts and lasts about five hours, read by LibriVox volunteers. Although it can be heard on its own, it fits naturally between the chapters that precede and follow it. It offers a vivid way into one of the most important turning points of British history.
Public domain
Thomas Babington Macaulay died in 1859: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text