The Honourable

In my English history reading, I have noticed that the aristocrats play just as large of a part as the royals in influencing the history of the country. And, time after time, I have lamented the lack of a good book (or series) detailing the history of these aristocratic families so the historian can see how the 3rd Duke of Such-and-Such is related to the 7th Duke of Such-and-Such, how the Barons So-and-So are related to royalty, and what happened to the title of Viscount of This-and-That.

Aristocrats: Power, Grace & Decadence by Lawrence James, is not this book (or series). But it is an interesting and useful read for anyone interested in the aristocracy and the role they played, as a class, in England's history. The aristocracies of England, Scotland, and Ireland are all discussed in this book.

James divides his book into three parts: Ascendancy (1066-1603), describing the growth and development of aristocratic power in England; Equilibrium (1603-1815), discussing the high point of aristocratic power and involvement in politics; and Decline (1815-current), about the aristocrats' declining role in public and private life in England. James writes about peers in general, but illustrates his discussion with anecdotes about various peers along the way.

Overall, I enjoyed this look into England's aristocrats. While many of aristocrats were bad or foolish men, some were deeply involved in learning, the arts, and sports. After all, no one else had the leisure or wealth to invest in new technologies and decorations. Especially in the Hanoverian times, the aristocrats led the way in setting the fashion for all Brits - in fashion, home decor, and gardening. I was interested to read about the development of the aristocrats and their ties to chivalry and ancient Greek ideals. The "Equilibrium" period was a high time for aristocrats as they became less subservient to the King, developed an interest in politics, and amassed great wealth from overseas adventures. James is obviously a supporter of the aristocrats, which is clear in the last chapter as he discusses the reform of the House of Lords which led to the removal of many of the hereditary peers and the installation of life peers. James is strongly against any further reform to the House of Lords. His point is that life peers are appointed by the Queen and can be from all walks of life (as opposed to elected politicians or even hereditary peers). He argues that this allows the House of Lords to have a different view point on issues from the Commons. It is an interesting argument - and one that you certainly could not have made were the house restricted to hereditary peers!

This book is an essential read for anyone interested in English history and wondering about the role of aristocrats in England's development. It is a good overview of the subject. My only critique is that I would have liked the work to be longer - it is a good introduction but I would have liked to delve into the subject a little deeper. I think an expanded version, with each time period given its own volume, would be about right. However, I imagine that I would be in the minority here and that the shorter version would sell better! Despite that one minor criticism I enjoyed the book and it is a useful and interesting addition to my history collection.