The Gentry, Rise and Fall of a Ruling Class by G. E. Mingay, English History, Politics and Economic Control, the Social Elite. Trade Paperback Format, Published by Longman in 1978 in the "Theories in Social History: Series. OP

"The Gentry, The Rise and Fall of a Ruling Class" by G. E. Mingay was issued as a stand-alone volume in the monographic series, "Themes in British Social History", published by Longman in London. This is the 1978 Second Printing. The book is in trade paperback format, and contains Bibliographical notes and references as well as an Index. The following is an excerpt from the cover write-up: "This is the first serious comprehensive study of the gentry from the Norman Conquest to the present day. It presents a rounded picture of a social group who once formed the political and administrative backbone of England. In their heyday the gentry owned over half of all the country's land. From it they derived enormous power and social prestige. Ownership of the land brought them not only control of agriculture (when farming was by far the country's largest economic activity), but also involvement in the development of coal-mining, iron-working, and other industrial activities, and in the development of transport. Professor Mingay shows how they came to acquire this power, and how it eventually passed from them He also looks at their social origins, their education, and their distinctive life-style; he pays particular attention to their role as magistrates and county administrators, including the controversial question of the part played in the overthrow of absolute monarchy in the Great Rebellion." SERIES : Themes in British Social History SERIES EDITOR : John Stevenson TITLE : The Gentry, The Rise and Fall of a Ruling Class AUTHOR : G. E. Mingay (Professor of Agrarian history, University of Kent at Canterbury) IMPRINT : Longman PLACE : London DATE : (1978) EDITION : Second Printing STATUS : OP - Out of Print . no longer listed on the publisher's site. PHYSICAL DETAILS : Trade paperback; contains bibliographical notes and references, an index; 216 pages; approximately 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", pictorial wraps, glued. CONDITION -- VERY GOOD -- This is a previously owned book which remains clean and serviceable, the following particulars noted: EXTERIOR : The spine is faded; covers display mild surface rub and a touch of shallow surface creasing; soft bumps to corner tips; text-block edges clean. On the rear cover is the publisher's original price sticker. BINDING : Solid INTERIOR : Soft bumps to top fore-edge corner has created very mild corner creasing t some of the leaves near the front of the book. else the interior is clean and free of writing, free of marking. On the inside of the front cover is a small shop label, in the shape of a book, from Foyles, the famous bookstore in London ("FOYLES The World's Greatest Bookshop - 119 - 125 Charing Cross Road, London, W. C. 2").…