London and the Seventeenth Century: The Making of the World's Greatest City

In her book "The Greatest City: A New History of London in the Seventeenth Century," Margarette Lincoln explores the impact of national events on an ever-growing citizenry with its love of pageantry, spectacle, and enterprise. She looks at how religious, political, and financial tensions were fomented by commercial ambition, expansion, and hardship, and evokes the remarkable figures of the period, including Shakespeare, Bacon, Pepys, and Newton. Through their eyes, we see how the nation emerged from a turbulent century poised to become a great maritime power with London at its heart.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: 01 March 2022
Publisher: Yale University Press

The seventeenth century was a pivotal period in British history, marked by significant events such as The Gunpowder Plot, The Civil Wars, Charles I's execution, The Plague, The Great Fire, and The Restoration. Londoners played a central role in these events, and Margarette Lincoln's book explores the impact of national events on the city's ever-growing citizenry.

The book delves into the religious, political, and financial tensions that were fomented by commercial ambition, expansion, and hardship. Lincoln examines how these tensions shaped the lives of ordinary Londoners, drawing on diaries, letters, and wills to trace the untold stories of these individuals. Through their eyes, we see how the nation emerged from a turbulent century poised to become a great maritime power with London at its heart—the greatest city of its time.

Lincoln's book is lively and arresting, showcasing her confidence in handling the royal ceremonials of political transition as well as the thriving coffee-house culture and turbulent maritime community of London. The book has received critical acclaim, with Ian W. Archer of the Times Literary Supplement praising it as "a thoroughly absorbing account," and Tony Barber of the Financial Times describing it as "Best Books of 2021: History."

In conclusion, Margarette Lincoln's book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of seventeenth-century London. It provides a fascinating account of the city's role in shaping the nation, and through the eyes of ordinary Londoners, we see how the city emerged from a turbulent century poised to become a great maritime power with London at its heart.

Weight: 362g
Dimension: 246 x 200 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300264746