Swift and History - Politics and the English Past

This book explores the importance of history to Jonathan Swift through close reading of his historical, polemical and satirical writings.

List of contents

Introduction; 1. Swift and the historians, ancient and modern; 2. Swift, Temple, and the history of England; 3. The uses of history in Swiftian satire and polemic; 4. 'Swift's rhapsodical Tory-book': the aims and motives of The History of the Four Last Years of the Queen; 5. Swift and authority; Conclusion: Swift's Tory historiography; Bibliography.

About the author

Ashley Marshall is Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Nevada, Reno, and is the author of The Practice of Satire in England, 1658–1770 (2013).

Summary

Ashley Marshall explores the significance of history to the life and the writings of Jonathan Swift. This illuminating study includes an analysis of Swift's attempt to write a history of England, his attitudes toward power and authority, and offers a radical re-reading of the History of the Four Last Years.

Product details

• Authors: Ashley Marshall, Ashley (University of Nevada Marshall, Marshall Ashley
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.08.2017
• EAN: 9781107499270
• ISBN: 978-1-107-49927-0
• No. of pages: 292
• Subjects: Fiction > Poetry, drama; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > English linguistics / literary studies; European History, English, History: theory & methods, Historiography, British & Irish history, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Literary studies: general, British Isles, Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800, C 1600 To C 1700, C 1700 To C 1800