Geoffrey Elton Bücher

Focusing on the political and constitutional challenges faced by the English government, this collection of papers delves into various personal issues intertwined with governance. It offers insights into the complexities of political life and the impact of constitutional matters on individual experiences within the governmental framework.

Focusing on the political and constitutional challenges faced by the English government from the late fifteenth century to the early seventeenth century, this collection features previously unpublished papers. Organized into four thematic groups, the essays explore Tudor politics, government, and parliamentary thought, often challenging established historical perspectives. While the pieces were written over two decades, they collectively address significant issues, with added footnotes to clarify errors and highlight subsequent developments.

Set against the backdrop of 1200 England, the narrative explores the establishment of systematic record-keeping by the government. It highlights the significant political shifts that occurred by 1640, particularly the collapse of Charles I's personal rule, which resulted in the dismantling of key governmental offices and their archives. This historical account delves into the implications of these changes on governance and record preservation in England.

Englishmen greeted the accession to the throne of Henry VIII with more than the usual chorus of praise and anticipation, yet few offered any solution to the problems of the commonwealth or expected more than the maintenance of a precarious stability. Half a century later, however, his daughter Elizabeth inherited a realm which had experienced a revolution. Reform, not a dream but a rational prospect, had become the spirit of the age; it also provides the them for this remarkable history of the reigns of Henry, Edward and Mary.

G. R. Elton's Policy and Police, first published in 1972, has since acquired classic status in the literature on the government of sixteenth-century England. The book examines what actually happened during Henry VIII's break with Rome, the widespread resistance which necessitated constant vigilance on the part of the government, and the role of Thomas Cromwell, whose surviving correspondence permits a detailed insight both into the purposes of government and the manner in which it was experienced by the people.

The book features the Cook Lectures, which delve into contemporary challenges and questions surrounding the creation of impartial historical narratives. It explores the complexities of bias in historical writing and aims to provide insights into how historians can navigate these issues to present a more balanced perspective.