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The Gun, the Ship and the Pen

Warfare, Constitutions and the Making of the Modern World
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( 559 ratings, 81 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Gun, the Ship and the Pen by Linda Colley explores how military conflicts and technological innovations have influenced the development of constitutions across the world. It provides a historical analysis of the interconnectedness of warfare, political change, and the formulation of written constitutions, emphasising their role in shaping modern states. This insightful study highlights the global impact of these documents beyond the Western world.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are fascinated by how military conflicts and technological advances have historically driven the development of written constitutions worldwide. It explores how diverse global powers used these documents to redefine authority and governance amidst the challenges of war and empire-building.

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Award-winning historian Linda Colley re-examines the making of the modern world through the advance of written constitutions.

Award-winning historian Linda Colley re-examines the making of the modern world through the advance of written constitutions.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
'If there were a Nobel Prize in History, Colley would be my nominee' - Jill Lepore, New Yorker
'One of the most exciting historians of her generation, but also one of the most interesting writers of non-fiction around' - William Dalrymple, Guardian
'Colley takes you on intellectual journeys you wouldn't think to take on your own, and when you arrive you wonder that you never did it before' - David Aaronovitch, The Times

Starting not with the United States, but with the Corsican constitution of 1755, The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen moves through every continent, disrupting accepted narratives. Both monarchs and radicals play a role, from Catherine the Great of Russia, with her remarkable Nakaz, to Sierra Leone's James Africanus Horton, to Tunisia's Khayr-al-Din, a creator of the first modern Islamic constitution.

Throughout, Colley demonstrates how constitutions evolved in tandem with warfare, and how they have functioned to advance empire as well as promote nations, and worked to exclude as well as liberate.

Whether reinterpreting Japan's momentous 1889 constitution, or exploring the significance of the first constitution to enfranchise all adult women on Pitcairn Island in the Pacific in 1838, this is one of the most original global histories in decades.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Gun, the Ship and the Pen by Linda Colley is lauded for its insightful global history, exploring how nations and constitutions were formed. Reviewers praise its masterful storytelling, rich detail, and imaginative comparisons, highlighting how it challenges established historical narratives. The book's global sweep and focus on the human scale make complex legal and historical topics accessible and engaging, earning it recognition for its bold and paradigm-shifting perspectives.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781846684982

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 February 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Profile Books Ltd

Edition: Main

Illustration: Integrated pictures

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 36.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 360g

Pages: 512

About the Author

Linda Colley is the Shelby M.C. Davis 1958 Professor of History at Princeton University, and a Fellow of both the British Academy and the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study. Her seven books include Britons, winner of the Wolfson Prize, The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh, a New York Times top ten book of the year, and Acts of Union
and Disunion, based on a series of talks commissioned by BBC Radio 4. She divides her time between the USA and Europe.

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