Derek Beales – författare

With the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, Britain was again pre-eminent among the great powers, and was to remain so for the next seventy years. Her colonial empire was far more extensive than that of any other country; London was the financial capital of the world; she had the largest navy and mercantile marine, the chief share of the world's trade, the highest manufacturing production, and the most progressive agriculture. From Castlereagh to Gladstone is a fresh and stimulating appraisal of this brilliant period in Britain's history.The age was characterized by an unprecedented rate of change and by extraordinary achievements both at home and abroad. Major legislative and institutional changes such as the three Reform Bills, the establishment of trade unions, and the Education Act of 1870 were enacted. Industrialization and urbanization advanced rapidly. It was a period of remarkable statesmen: Melbourne, Canning, Peel, Lord John Russell, Palmerston, and Benjamin Disraeli.In each of the four sections of the book, Professor Beales presents a succinct narrative of events followed by discussion of particular topics, so that each aspect of the period is set within a clear narrative framework. He traces the main cultural trends and gives comprehensive coverage to all major economic, social, and political developments, providing a balanced survey of events in nineteenth-century Britain and the forces, people, and ideas that shaped them.

This book contains essays within a common theme by a group of distinguished historians (some of them acknowledged world leaders in their fields) in honour of the just-retired Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge, whose contribution to religion, education and history has been recognised by the award of a knighthood and, more recently, by the Order of Merit. Their common interest is the same one that has marked Professor Chadwick's life and work: the centrality of religious history to the history of Europe and, through that, to world history as a whole.

This second and final volume of Derek Beales's magisterial biography of the emperor Joseph II describes the period when he was sole ruler of the Austrian monarchy. Influenced partly by Enlightenment ideals, Joseph relaxed censorship, introduced wide-ranging religious toleration and fostered a 'new Catholicism' whilst Mozart's music, the greatest cultural achievement of his reign, owed much to Joseph's patronage. He also abolished personal serfdom and diminished the nobles' power, seeking to achieve full personal control over all his provinces. Opposition became serious when his hyperactive foreign policy landed him in war against the Turks, and he died with his Belgian provinces in rebel hands and Hungary threatened by revolt and invasion. Though these pressures forced Joseph to withdraw some of his measures, Derek Beales argues that he left an indelible mark on the history of all his lands, which now form part of fifteen modern states.

The emperor Joseph II (1741-90) tried to carry through something like a 'revolution from above' in the vast, varied, and mainly backward provinces of the Austrian Monarchy. This volume carries the story down to 1780. It describes the claustrophobic atmosphere, in which Joseph was trained to rule, his tragic marriages, and his attempts after 1765 as co-regent with his formidable mother, empress Maria Theresa, to dictate the domestic and foreign policy of the monarchy. The author shows that previous historians have been deceived by false sources and that the picture they have given of the emperor, his strange character, his tempestuous relationship with his mother, and his political aims, needs drastic revision.

In the Catholic countries of seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century Europe, communities of monks and nuns were growing in number and wealth. By 1750 there were at least 25,000 communities containing at least 350,000 inmates. They constructed vast buildings, dominated education, and played a large part in the practice and patronage of learning, music, and the arts. They also fulfilled an amazing variety of political, economic and social roles, notably in providing career opportunities for women. Yet many accounts of the period ignore them altogether. Prosperity and Plunder recovers this forgotten dimension of European history, assesses the importance of monasteries across Catholic Europe, and compares their position in different countries. It goes on to explain the almost complete destruction of the monasteries between 1750 and 1815 through reforming rulers, 'Enlightenment', and the French Revolution, and asks how much society gained and lost in the process.

This book introduces the reader to the relationship between the Italian national movement, achieved by the Risorgimento, and the Italian unification in 1860. These themes are discussed in detail and related to the broader European theatre. Covering the literary, cultural, religious and political history of the period, Beales and Biagini show Italy struggled towards nation state status on all fronts.The new edition has been thoroughly rewritten. It also contains a number of new documents. In addition, all the most up to date research of the last 20 years has been incorporated.The Risorgimento and the Unification of Italyremains the major text on nineteenth century Italy. The long introduction and useful footnotes will be of real assistance to those interested in Italian unification.

This second and final volume of Derek Beales's magisterial biography of the emperor Joseph II describes the period when he was sole ruler of the Austrian monarchy. Influenced partly by Enlightenment ideals, Joseph relaxed censorship, introduced wide-ranging religious toleration and fostered a 'new Catholicism' whilst Mozart's music, the greatest cultural achievement of his reign, owed much to Joseph's patronage. He also abolished personal serfdom and diminished the nobles' power, seeking to achieve full personal control over all his provinces. Opposition became serious when his hyperactive foreign policy landed him in war against the Turks, and he died with his Belgian provinces in rebel hands and Hungary threatened by revolt and invasion. Though these pressures forced Joseph to withdraw some of his measures, Derek Beales argues that he left an indelible mark on the history of all his lands, which now form part of fifteen modern states.

This book introduces the reader to the relationship between the Italian national movement, achieved by the Risorgimento, and the Italian unification in 1860. These themes are discussed in detail and related to the broader European theatre. Covering the literary, cultural, religious and political history of the period, Beales and Biagini show Italy struggled towards nation state status on all fronts.The new edition has been thoroughly rewritten. It also contains a number of new documents. In addition, all the most up to date research of the last 20 years has been incorporated.The Risorgimento and the Unification of Italyremains the major text on nineteenth century Italy. The long introduction and useful footnotes will be of real assistance to those interested in Italian unification.