Samuel Johnson and the Making of Modern England

by Nicholas Hudson

Overview

One of the most renowned authors of the eighteenth century, Samuel Johnson became a symbol of English national identity in the century following his death in 1784. Nicholas Hudson examines his contribution to the creation of the modern English identity, focusing on his attitudes towards class, feminism, party politics, the public sphere, nationalism, and imperialism. This new view of Johnson reflects the nature of English nationhood.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521045742
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/03/2007
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.87(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Nicholas Hudson is Professor of English at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of Samuel Johnson and Eighteenth-Century Thought (1988), Writing and European Thought, 1600–1830 (Cambridge, 1994), and of numerous essays on eighteenth-century literature, thought and culture.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. From 'rank' to 'class': the changing structures of social hierarchy; 2. Constructing the middle-class woman; 3. From 'broad-bottom' to 'party': the rise of modern English politics; 4. 'The voice of the nation': the evolution of the 'public'; 5. The construction of English nationhood; 6. The material and ideological development of the British Empire; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Those seeking a rich rendering of the historical particulars that defined the Age of Johnson and its impact will find much of interest in Hudson." Eighteenth Century Fiction

"...the author's careful research, engaging style of writing, and amiable tone make this a book that will please both literary critics and historians. No matter what you think of Samuel Johnson, as writer or man, this volume will give you a better appreciation of the author of The Rambler, Rasselas, and Lives of the Poets, by presenting, not 'the Age of Johnson,' but 'Johnson within his Age.'" Albion, Paul Monod

From the Publisher