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Title details for The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen by Linda Colley - Available

The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen

Warfare, Constitutions, and the Making of the Modern World

by Linda Colley
Susan Ericksen
Audiobook
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A work of extraordinary range and striking originality, The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen traces the global history of written constitutions from the 1750s to the twentieth century, modifying accepted narratives and uncovering the close connections between the making of constitutions and the making of war. In the process, Linda Colley both reappraises famous constitutions and recovers those that have been marginalized but were central to the rise of a modern world. She brings to the fore neglected sites, such as Corsica, with its pioneering constitution of 1755, and tiny Pitcairn Island in the Pacific, the first place on the globe permanently to enfranchise women. She highlights the role of unexpected players, such as Catherine the Great of Russia, who was experimenting with constitutional techniques with her enlightened Nakaz decades before the Founding Fathers framed the American constitution. Written constitutions are usually examined in relation to individual states, but Colley focuses on how they crossed boundaries, spreading into six continents by 1918 and aiding the rise of empires as well as nations. She also illumines their place not simply in law and politics but also in wider cultural histories, and their intimate connections with print, literary creativity, and the rise of the novel.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 18, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781696602105
      • File size: 495645 KB
      • Duration: 17:12:35

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrating this broad history, Susan Ericksen combines respect for the author's work with the tone and phrasing needed to make listening enjoyable. Ericksen's slow enunciation is fitting but will challenge some listeners' ability to track the ideas in longer sentences. But with her grasp of the author's intentions never in doubt, the work holds together with satisfying coherence. Tracing the global spread of constitutions from 1750 to the present, British historian Linda Colley shows how these foundational documents were needed by emerging nations to secure the rights of men so they would agree to be taxed and sent to war on land and sea. Her smooth writing shows how cultural and literary trends shaped constitutions, and how colorful leaders helped them spread across six continents. T.W. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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