Review by Choice Review
Thornton (Univ. of Huddersfield, UK) writes about the Channel Islands as they developed into one of England's most valuable military and intelligence assets. This is a story not about the islands themselves, but about their relationship to England and, to a lesser extent, to England's greatest enemy, France. This is not a criticism, simply a statement of the islands' historical character. While the Channel Islands were important throughout this entire history, when England's political, military, and religious situations were positive, the Channel Islands prospered; when they were negative, the Channel Islands suffered. Three chapters chart the years 1377-1435, 1485-1574, and 1570-1604, showing England's domestic prosperity and foreign successes, with consequent high fortunes for the Channel Islands. Three more chapters, 1435-1485, 1547-1569, and 1605-1640, show England's decline both at home and abroad, with a similar fall for the Channel Islands. Their value would be assured during the early modern era, when England was almost always at war with someone on the continent, but in the formative years covered in this book, the worth of these small, barely habitable rocks off the coast of Normandy was far from guaranteed. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. K. R. DeVries Loyola University Maryland
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
