The Last Revolution: 1688 and the Creation of the Modern World

This was a book that I just had to buy when I saw it. This period became very interesting to me when I read Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. I was eager to learn more about the history of the period. So I didn't have to think too much when I saw it at Heathrow when I was flying back home. This book is actually a pretty good read, very insightful and full of minute detail. The problem I have with...more

This was a book that I just had to buy when I saw it. This period became very interesting to me when I read Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. I was eager to learn more about the history of the period. So I didn't have to think too much when I saw it at Heathrow when I was flying back home. This book is actually a pretty good read, very insightful and full of minute detail. The problem I have with it is that while it is a good read, the pace of the book is very slow. I found that the writing was not particularly special or gripping. Some parts of the book seemed to drag on, to the point where I found myself skimming over whole paragraphs with no discernible loss of understanding. I also felt that the book should have dealt with the various aspects of the revolution separately. The book tended to jump between Political/Military effects to Economic to Social to Religious effects, which was not very good for narrative purposes. The bottom line: Despite the fact that it is less readable than some of the other books I've reviewed, it still is a pretty interesting read when everything comes together. I just wish that everything came together more often. Rating: 3/5   hide