The Rise and Fall of Merry England

`by far the most impressive and fascinating work of historical scholarship in this field ... the sheer quantity of sources is breathtaking ... fascinating book' Sunday Telegraph
`Ronald Hutton makes fellow-historians whistle with envy, jealousy and admiration ... repeatedly, Hutton courteously undermines his colleagues' confident generalisations with his piles of evidence ... a deeply fascinating and important book.' New Statesman & Society
`a jewel of a subject ... Hutton's book thrums with academic controversy' Observer
`Hutton has written a scholarly text that convinces and delights through his masterly deployment of illustrative detail.' The Observer
'Ronald Hutton's The Rise and Fall of Merry England is by far the most impressive and fascinating work of historical scholarship in this field to have appeared since Keith Thomas's book came out a generation ago. The range of issues covered ... is huge, the organisation of argument and material is lucid and compact and the sheer quantity of sources investigated is quite breathtaking.' Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph
'This is a book of rare quality ... Ranging over three centuries, and the fruit of research on the most massive scale ... Elegantly written, unfailingly courteous in tone and the product of prodigious learning.' John Adamson, Sunday Telegraph
'This is an outstanding book, original and provocative, vigorously and courteously argued, and written with a vivid sense of the immediacy of the past - of Merry England's jollity as well as its pathos. It is one of the finest books on early modern England to have appeared in the last decade.' John Adamson, The Times
'a deeply fascinating and important book' Diarmaid MacCulloch, New Statesman & Society
'fascinating study ... Hutton's study is engagingly frank about the limitations of evidence, and adept at weighing the probabilities when it is not conclusive. Through areas of the greatest controversy, he moves respectfully and critically, eschewing simplicities, lucidly summarising and adding incisive suggestions of his own.' Kevin Sharpe, Independent
`This is a thoughtful, ground-breaking study.' Rosanna de Lisle, Independent on Sunday
`a solid but readable survey of seasonal celebrations and traditions in a historical context looking at the way they altered with political, religious and social change' Darlington & Stockton Times
`this is a scholarly book, the fruit of more than 10 years of patient research ... It is an admirable book, and excellent value' Country Life
'Hutton's study is markedly original ... he makes a major empirical contribution to the study of these matters by employing a massive sample of churchwardens' accounts from all over England ... Hutton sustains a consistently rich discussion, which has many telling points to make about the course and explanation of change ... There is much to admire here, in the originality of Hutton's findings and arguments, in the sharpness of his critical assessments of much recent literature relevant to his theme, and in the generally even-handed and courteous tone of the discussion. The book is illuminating, entertaining and, like any significant reappraisal, provocative.' Times Literary Supplement
'This book is a minute exploration of the various rituals which marked the seasons in medieval England... this is a scholarly book, the fruit of more than 10 years of patient research, much of it in parish accounts ... an admirable book, and excellent value.' John Joliffe, Country Life
researched on a massive scale but written elegantly and succintly...the effects of his strokes are sometimes spectacular. Impressive and valuable... * The Bulletin *
wide-ranging and creative book ... Well-written and accessible, the book explores many aspects of popular religion, culture, and social history. Hutton's original research provides fascinating material on such topics as ritual feast and fasting, the Lords of Misrule, Christmas carols, and the meanings of certain celebrations such as Valentine's Day and May Day ... a book of tremendous breadth and imagination, well worth reading for scholars of many specialties. * Carole Levin, SUNY, New Paltz, The Historian *