An Age of Transition? by Christopher Dyer
This significant new work by a prominent medievalist focusses on the period of transition between 1250 and 1550, when the wealth and power of the great lords was threatened and weakened, and when new social groups emerged and new methods of production were adopted. Professor Dyer examines both the commercial growth of the thirteenth century, and the restructuring of farming, trade, and industry in the fifteenth. The subjects investigated include the balance between individuals and the collective interests of families and villages. The role of the aristocracy and in particular the gentry are scrutinized, and emphasis placed on the initiatives taken by peasants, traders, and craftsmen. The growth in consumption moved the economy in new directions after 1350, and this encouraged investment in productive enterprises. A commercial mentality persisted and grew, and producers, such as farmers, profited from the market. Many people lived on wages, but not enough of them to justify describing the sixteenth century economy as capitalist. The conclusions are supported by research in sources not much used before, such as wills, and non-written evidence, including buildings. Christopher Dyer, who has already published on many aspects of this period, has produced the first full-length study by a single author of the 'transition'. He argues for a reassessment of the whole period, and shows that many features of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries can be found before 1500.
This is a very important book * Mavis Mate, The Ricardian *
This book would make an ideal introductory text for students of medieval economy and society.. Its fresh insights into the timescales and mechanisms of social and economic change will also be of interest to scholars of the period and to those whose interests lie primarily in the economy and society of the early modern and industrial periods. * Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, THES *
The book is firmly grounded in an exceptionally wide-ranging use of primary sources, characteristic of Dyer's work. [...] This is a stimulating book, which sparkles with Dyer's selection of telling examples and his eye for nuance. It will be enjoyed both by those researching the period and by those approaching the study of pre-industrial society for the first time. * Ben Dodds, Economic History Review *
the wealth of new thinking it represents, and the thoroughness of the scholarship underlying it, make it a work of exceptional importance * Neil Faulkner, Current Archaeology *
This book would make an ideal introductory text for students of medieval economy and society.. Its fresh insights into the timescales and mechanisms of social and economic change will also be of interest to scholars of the period and to those whose interests lie primarily in the economy and society of the early modern and industrial periods. * Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, THES *
The book is firmly grounded in an exceptionally wide-ranging use of primary sources, characteristic of Dyer's work. [...] This is a stimulating book, which sparkles with Dyer's selection of telling examples and his eye for nuance. It will be enjoyed both by those researching the period and by those approaching the study of pre-industrial society for the first time. * Ben Dodds, Economic History Review *
the wealth of new thinking it represents, and the thoroughness of the scholarship underlying it, make it a work of exceptional importance * Neil Faulkner, Current Archaeology *
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780198221661 |
| ISBN 10 | 0198221665 |
| Title | An Age of Transition? |
| Author | Christopher Dyer |
| Series | Ford Lectures |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Year published | 2005-02-03 |
| Number of pages | 304 |
| Prizes | Winner of Shortlisted for the ^ICurrent Archaeology^R Book of the Year 2009. |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |