James II: The Triumph and the Tragedy (review)
This brief, lavishly illustrated, but un-annotated book is not intended to revolutionize our view of James II. Despite evident sympathy for his subject, and the insight gained from his two previous books on James's early military career and late years in exile, John Callow's verdict on Britain's last Catholic king is much the same rather depressing one current for the last three centuries: "Unable to brook dissent, or to heed timely advice, James's utter inflexibility of character and steely purpose turned all his many gifts and advantages to dust, effectively retarding the cause of full religious toleration by one hundred years. . . ," etc. (p. 1). Rather, this volume tells in brief the familiar story of the most frustrating of Stuart kings, while illustrating the collections of the National Archives, all for a general audience. Readers are encouraged to pursue their studies at the National Archives: full instructions are given for ordering reader's tickets and the like on page viii.
Though supplemented by a time-line, two pages of brief biographies and judicious suggestions for further reading, the brief span of the narrative itself does not leave much room for in-depth analysis. At times, Dr. Callow must skim over complex issues, like the causes of the British Civil Wars, the negotiations at the Restoration, or precisely how the Dutch fleet escaped James at Lowestoft. The 1677 marriage of James's daughter Mary to William of Orange, which James opposed, is mentioned only in passing, but the explanation of the Exclusion Crisis is well done. The author's insight that James's leadership suffered from never having experienced independent command in youth, and that he worked best in a subordinate position (to Marshal Turenne as a young man, to his brother as an older one) is valuable.
The documents are beautifully reproduced on pages separate from the main narrative. First, each is placed in context. These sections produce some of Dr. Callow's most enlightening observations (for example, pages 98-99 on James's religiosity). One page of each document is then reproduced in a beautiful color photograph. Finally the full text of the document is given. But the document selection is odd, perhaps because of the need to highlight the holdings of the National Archives. Missing are any political or religious pamphlets, official documents such as the Declaration of Indulgence, William's replies to James's letters, or excerpts from contemporary diaries or memoirs by Pepys, Evelyn, Reresby, Aylesbury, or, most surprisingly, James himself. Rather, the volume draws on the king's own letters in the State Papers. While this might appear to be the obvious course to take, it runs aground on two shoals: first, a king's eye view is anything but inclusive, and may not be the best guide to his own reign or even life. Worse, James II was among the least interesting or reflective letter writers of the early modern period: for example, in Letter 8, the execution of Algernon Sidney receives one sentence, as does a fox-hunt. Letters 10 and 11 are detailed but matter-of-fact accounts of Monmouth's [End Page 969] Rebellion. The king makes no attempt to come to terms with why so many of his subjects could not abide his rule. This does have the virtue of confirming the traditional view of James's character and why he lost his crown: he comes across as a rather plodding and unreflective man, unable to place himself in his opponents' shoes even for the purpose of defeating them.
In conclusion, this is very much a gift shop book. It is a pleasure to read and to own, not least because of its beautiful illustrations but also because its author knows...
