Leopold Van Ranke: A History of England, Principally in the 17th Century

Leopold Van Ranke, A History of England, The Prince of Orange and the Protestant Episcopalian Party in England:

A rather dull tract recounting in tedious detail the downfall of James II. Mostly using available correspondence, Von Ranke paints a picture of politcal manuevering in the Hague and London in the 1680s. He tersely lists events with little transition and the only instance of the author's voice come in broad statements that clarify or minimize the importance of each event he lists in the narrative, i.e.:

"Personal quarrels of this kind never fail to have some consequences,"

I gather the reason this reading was assigned was to provide a sample of the limits of a strict political and diplomatic history that employs only documentation without a unifying theme. Von Ranke stresses the unique situation of William of Orange as a catalyst for driving French foreign policy and English domestic policy:

"The effect which a man can produce on the world often depends not so much on the power he possesses, as on the attiutude which he assumes towards those forces."

Policy considerations are only considered for their impact on the ruler's power and the status of his nation's power vis-a-vis the rest of Europe. Religious differences are considered political impediments. Nowhere do we learn how or why certain people think the way they do, save a passing reference to William's upbringing. For Van Ranke, only documented evidence can be placed in the book.