Search results for ""Author Laurence Brockliss""

The University of Oxford is the third oldest university in Europe and remains one of the greatest universities in the world. How did such an ancient institution flourish through the ages? This book offers a succinct illustrated account of its colourful and controversial 800-year history, from medieval times through the Reformation and on to the nineteenth century, in which the foundations of the modern tutorial system were laid. It describes the extraordinary and influential people who shaped the development of the institution and helped to create today’s world-class research university. Institutions have waxed and waned over the centuries but Oxford has always succeeded in reinventing itself to meet the demands of a new age. Richly illustrated with archival material, prints and portraits, this book explores how a university in a small provincial town rose to become one of the top universities in the world at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

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The long eighteenth century is often seen as the age ‘when Europe spoke French’. After all, many of the leading figures of the Enlightenment were French and even a good number of authors in other countries chose this language to reach an audience beyond the borders of their homeland. Latin may have served a similar purpose in the Renaissance, but by the eighteenth century its importance quickly declined. This view is simplistic and misleading and this volume seeks to refute it. The essays presented in this book demonstrate Latin continued to play a highly important role during the long eighteenth century, both within Europe and in interactions between the ‘West’ and the rest of the world. It sheds light on the reasons why Latin remained a key factor in eighteenth-century culture, as well as the contexts in which it was used. In so doing, this volume makes a significant contribution to current debates on the nature of the Enlightenment and its place in global history.

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