£23.99

FREE Delivery in the UK.

In stock.

Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

The European Nobility, 1400-1800 (New Approaches to European History) Paperback – 12 Oct 2010

by Jonathan Dewald (Author)

3 reviews from Amazon.com

See all 2 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Amazon Price

New from

Used from

Hardcover

"Please retry"

£66.00

£62.08

£35.25

Paperback

"Please retry"

£23.99

£19.20

£12.49

Note: This item is eligible for click and collect. Details

This book is the first comprehensive history of the European nobility between the Renaissance and the French Revolution. Designed to introduce students and non-specialists to the subject, it explains all the principal themes and problems in an authoritative and accessible manner. Professor Dewald surveys the changing numbers, self-perceptions, wealth, and political power of the European nobles, and explores their changing modes of life. Arguing against the conventional point of view, he maintains that the nobles of Europe adapted effectively to the profound changes that marked society and culture at this time. He also argues for the importance of Europe-wide patterns in the evolution of this dominant group; although different countries had different numbers of nobles and accorded them varying privileges, nobles everywhere faced essentially similar problems and responded to them in essentially similar ways.

Special offers and product promotions

Frequently bought together

Total price: £45.98

One of these items is dispatched sooner than the other. Show details

Buy the selected items together

This item:The European Nobility, 1400-1800 (New Approaches to European History) by Jonathan Dewald Paperback £23.99
In stock.
Sent from and sold by Amazon.
FREE Delivery in the UK. Details
Nobilities in Transition 1550-1700: Courtiers and Rebels in Britain and Europe: 10 (Reconstructions… by Ronald Asch Paperback £21.99
Only 1 left in stock (more on the way).
Sent from and sold by Amazon.
FREE Delivery in the UK. Details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Ronald Asch

1

Paperback
£21.99
Hillay Zmora

1

Paperback
£24.99
Baldesar Castiglione

10

Paperback
£10.99
Merry E Wiesner-Hanks

7

Paperback
£25.69
Beat Kümin

17

Paperback
£26.47
Peter Marshall

19

Paperback
£6.24

Product details

Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (12 Oct. 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 052142528X
ISBN-13: 978-0521425285
Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 1.4 x 22.8 cm
Average Customer Review: Be the first to review this item
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 637,286 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2359 in Books > History > Europe > Ireland
- #17301 in Books > History > World History
- #71206 in Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

See Complete Table of Contents

Product description

Review

'… a challenging new synthesis to explain the experience of the nobility of western Europe in the early modern era …'. English Historical Review

Book Description

See all Product description

Customer reviews

There are no customer reviews yet.

5 star (0%)

4 star (0%)

3 star (0%)

2 star (0%)

1 star (0%)

Write a customer review

Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon.com

Amazon.com: 3 reviews

A peak at the real life of the nobility- it was different than you think

20 October 2011 - Published on Amazon.com

I thoroughly enjoyed the book because it brought so many facets of life together into an ever changing story. I'll not reveal everything in this timeline- read the book.

Prior to 1450
Nobles were generally inheritors of titles. They were viewed as having superior qualities over commoners. They deserved respect and in return they used their aptitude for protecting and commanding. They felt that they must be freed of cares of daily lives to fulfill their station in life. Nobles generally paid no taxes. They provided the military for the king. They collected taxes for themselves, rents from serfs who could sell their land, and got 3-4 days per week labor from the peasants. Money was rarely used, barter was common. Priests were the only educated class and provided administrators for the government. Land ownership was the most coveted possession. Knights were awarded titles and replaced those who died in battle or from disease.
After 1450
University educated nobles replaced priests and became a faster way to wealth than rewards from battle. They were receptive to Humanist ideas. Living off the estate was no longer acceptable when others ate imported foods and dressed elaborately. Castles no longer provided protection and country estates allowed privacy and nature could be tamed by landscaping.
1500-1600
Kings became stronger with larger armies and holdings. Kings and nobles sold land and possessions to finance wars. Litigation started to be accepted as a way to resolve disputes instead of wars.
1600-1700
Colonies contributed to the king's wealth while nobles invested in trading companies and businesses. Money replaced land as the dominate force. Peasants became soldiers while nobles moved to Court. Power moved from local to political influence. A wide gap developed between rich and poor nobles while merchants and guild members became equal to both groups. Titles no longer defined classes.
1700-1800
The Industrial Revolution allowed clothing to blur the lines between nobles and the middle class. Nobles were selling their land so they could flaunt their wealth. Most borrowed until they were bankrupt. Countries that kept their peasants poor had a small tax base and fell behind. Motivated workers produced more so nobles saw the advantage of reforming the remaining feudal system.

3 people found this helpful.

Michael K. Smith

Pretty good introductory treatment

15 November 2001 - Published on Amazon.com

Unlike the two systematic studies by Michael L. Bush, to which he refers approvingly, Dewald offers an extended interpretative essay, the theme of which is the evolution of the Continental nobility (or aristocracy -- he regards the terms as overlapping but distinct in meaning) during the four centuries between the end of the Middle Ages and the arrival of the French Revolution. Though small in absolute numbers, the nobility controlled most of the land and all of the politics on the Continent until well into the 19th century, and the author maintains that they managed to do this despite wars, revolutions, and the coming of modern industry because they were very effective in adapting to the changes around them. He also argues that from one country and culture to the next, nobles faced similar problems and responded to them in very similar ways. Intended as an introductory text on the subject, this is an excellent historical survey for the beginning student.

4 people found this helpful.

J. Hart

Great, but repetitive, evaluation of noble resiliency

5 July 2000 - Published on Amazon.com

Dewald has written something interesting here -- a social history of a group that social historians typically avoid. The nobility has gotten a lot of attention in more traditional history, and that is why they've been largely ignored in the social realm, but Dewald has carefully studied them, and challenged many of notions of nobility that have been strong since Tocqueville.
Primarily, he tackles the idea of the decline of the nobility, and shows that instead of declining, the nobility weathered the Early Modern period by being resilient and adaptable -- though the group was fundamentally changed, it still remained strong.
That is the main thrust of the book, and he considers their resiliency in aspects of the make-up of the nobility, their wealth and economics, their politics, and their involvement in culture. He concludes with an brief analysis of the effects of the French Revolution on the group, and how it contributed to the fundamental change the nobility underwent, from privileged order to ruling class.
This is a readable, interesting book. The only problem lies in a strong repetitiveness. I have no complaints about the book's organization, but it in some ways contributes to this, and Dewald ends up having to repeat conclusions he made just pages before. Sometimes the repetition becomes quite tedious, but as a whole, the book remains interesting and readable.

12 people found this helpful.

Where's My Stuff?

track your recent orders
view or change your orders in Your Account

Delivery and Returns

see our delivery rates and policies
thinking of returning an item? (See our Returns Policy)

Need Help?

Forgot your password?
Buy Gift Cards.
still have questions? Visit our Help Pages

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	AbeBooks Books, art & collectables	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Download Audiobooks	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	DPReview Digital Photography	Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations

Home Services Handpicked Professionals Happiness Guarantee	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities	Junglee.com Shop Online in India	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital Publishing Made Easy

Prime Now 2-Hour Delivery on Everyday Essentials	Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands	Yoyo.com A Happy Place To Shop For Toys	Souq.com Shop Online in the Middle East

Warehouse Deals Deep Discounts Open-Box Products	Amazon Business Service for business customers	Whole Foods Market We Believe in Real Food