Description
Book SynopsisThomas Violet, a Sly and Dangerous Fellow chronicles the life and adventures of Thomas Violet, an Englishman who lived from 1609 to 1662. During the course of his tumultuous life, Violet was a goldsmith, a spy, a prisoner of war during the English Civil War, a traitor to both sides, a major economic theorist, an anti-Semite who nearly drove the Jews of England out of the country, and a suicide. Violet's life consisted of one unbelievable escapade after another. He was a scoundrel who used his knowledge of the financial markets of his day to legally extort money out of people in scheme after scheme for nearly thirty years. Along the way, he was caught up in the English Civil War and interacted with many of the major playershe knew and worked for King Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, and King Charles II. In desperate times, both King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell were willing to use the unsavory Violet to help solve the financial crisis both men faced as rulers of England. Violet's knowledge
Trade ReviewThe fascinating story of Thomas Violet intersects with some of the most tumultuous and influential events in English history. Through the lens of Violet’s unsavory escapades, we encounter a wide variety of issues, from London’s social structures and religious conflicts to economic affairs, monopolies, and arguments for free trade. Tubb’s masterful account of Violet’s life draws from primary sources as well as current scholarship, giving readers an absorbing view into the life, politics, and history of seventeenth-century England. -- Warren Johnston, Algoma University
Amos Tubb has turned the dramatic life story of a very unlikeable man, Thomas Violet, into a compelling history of seventeenth-century England. Using Violet’s experiences as a goldsmith, government informant, and self-serving entrepreneur as a lens, Tubb illustrates how one man’s life intersected with many turbulent issues of his time, including politics, civil war, economic change, and religious prejudice. Tubb successfully draws these connections together by clearly explaining their significance as well as how historians have debated them. This is a highly readable and absorbing book that is ideal for undergraduate classroom use. -- Abigail L. Swingen, Texas Tech University
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Maps Author’s Note Introduction Chapter 1: Goldsmith Chapter 2: Spy Chapter 3: Royalist Chapter 4: Economist Chapter 5: Trappaner Chapter 6: Republican Chapter 7: Anti-Semite Chapter 8: Roman Conclusion Bibliography
