1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

We sometimes take it for granted that today's society is the most progressive and reactionary that it has ever been. Protests, strikes, religious reform and the the move away from traditional ways are all taken for granted and seen as the result of a free society. There was a period in English history that was a time of radical moves against the establishment, a time when new ways of thinking were championed, a time of great change. Subtitled "Radical Ideas During The English Revolution" Hill examines the period of the English Civil War and the years immediately afterwards from the point of view of the changes in thought, normally a period that is studied for its action.

The World Turned Upside Down is a book that charts the changes in the society brought about by a radical underground movement. The English Civil War is often regarded as a clear cut conflict between the monarchy and parliament over who ran the country. What this book does is lays out the complex range of reforms that were being demanded by the various groups, and lays out the wider picture of unrest prevalent of the time. Even in the post war Commonwealth period, when Cromwell controlled the country under military dictatorship, these struggles were still underway as the goods that the new rulers of England promised, were never delivered.

The book first lays out the reasons for unrest in the early seventeenth century, touching on earlier protests such as Wat Tyler and Jack Cade in the medieval period, and the rise in "masterless men" brought about by the decline in the rural economy. The war itself is not covered in depth as this is not the object of study, most of the new theories seemed to develop as a result of the war, like minded agitators in the Parliamentary ranks forming the core of these new political movements.
Groups such as the Levellers, Diggers and Ranters and their ideas of social reform and land ownership are considered and the debates and statements that Hill makes regarding them and their position, is one that is very poignant even today and should be well studied by anyone interested in politics, Socialism it would seem is not a particularly new idea. But it was not just in the political arena that challenges were being made. In the area of religion, some of the basic tenants of Protestantism such as sin and hell were being debated. This in turn lead to many radical offshoots of the established church, leading even by today's standards fairly extreme philosophies. It was this environment that the likes of Bunyan and Milton created their religious literary masterpieces. In other areas such as Law and Philosophy new ideas were being formulated within the country or invited from without.

What Hill manages to show by the end of the book is that ultimately the revolution in the mind and word was more successful than the physical conflicts fought in their name. By the time of Charles II and his restoration, the country had gone full circle and was run by a traditional monarchy once more. The country however had changed, a wave of ideas had influenced everybody and there was no going back. This in many ways marked the beginning of the modern age and the ideas experimented with then provided the basis of much of the modern political thought.

Hills book is scholarly, yet accessible, he manages to take a fairly dry subject and bring it to life, and the statements and comments he makes on the events of the time, are some of the most profound to be found in his work. For the scholar of Politics or History this book is a must read and will the first stirrings of radical thought presented here provide a fantastic mirror for more modern events and movements.

Learn more about this author, Dave Franklin.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Book reviews: The World Turned Upside Down, by Christopher Hill?
We want to hear your view. Write now!