World history as seen by Colley's Elizabeth Marsh
By: K.J. Stimpson
Issue date: 1/27/09 Section: Entertainment
British historian, Linda Colley, brings new perspective on the global events that occurred during the eighteenth century. The perspective she chooses, is through the life of a woman named Elizabeth Marsh.
"The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh" is a non-fiction book, which gives new insight into the history of the world during most of the eighteenth century.
Elizabeth Marsh was born in 1735 to a ship's carpenter, Milbourne Marsh, and his wife Elizabeth Evans.
What I found to be so remarkable about this story is how much Elizabeth Marsh lived. She was a woman well traveled, and her knowledge in academic fields was quite extensive for a woman of her time.
"Elizabeth Marsh's existence coincided with a distinctive and markedly violent phase of world history," Colley writes in her introduction of the novel.
The remarkable nature of Elizabeth Marsh's story is her ingenuity, which helped her survive during times of trial and bring beauty and luxury to a person of her station. A trait which she no doubt learned from her parents, according to Colley.
For example, when Milbourne would use his job at the docks in Port Royal and Portsmouth to help make improvements to his home, which was a part of the side of town where most dock hands and their families lived.
It was also through her parents that she learned perseverance and a since of adventure, travelling around the world to France, Morocco, India, parts of Asia and the places in between.
Colley also lets the reader know this novel is about more than the life of a woman who lived at sea, met turmoil in an unhappy marriage, and made her way in a world conflicted by politics, war and disease.
The novel is another way of seeing world history -- seeing it through the eyes of someone who, in spite of her station and gender, overcame to see the events in the time of crisis.
It is an intriguing book written in a fluid academic style, which is seldom boring and rarely leaves the reader confused as to where the story is going and how each worldly event intertwines with Elizabeth Marsh's life.
I would give "The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh" three and a half out of five stars.
"The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh" is a non-fiction book, which gives new insight into the history of the world during most of the eighteenth century.
Elizabeth Marsh was born in 1735 to a ship's carpenter, Milbourne Marsh, and his wife Elizabeth Evans.
What I found to be so remarkable about this story is how much Elizabeth Marsh lived. She was a woman well traveled, and her knowledge in academic fields was quite extensive for a woman of her time.
"Elizabeth Marsh's existence coincided with a distinctive and markedly violent phase of world history," Colley writes in her introduction of the novel.
The remarkable nature of Elizabeth Marsh's story is her ingenuity, which helped her survive during times of trial and bring beauty and luxury to a person of her station. A trait which she no doubt learned from her parents, according to Colley.
For example, when Milbourne would use his job at the docks in Port Royal and Portsmouth to help make improvements to his home, which was a part of the side of town where most dock hands and their families lived.
It was also through her parents that she learned perseverance and a since of adventure, travelling around the world to France, Morocco, India, parts of Asia and the places in between.
Colley also lets the reader know this novel is about more than the life of a woman who lived at sea, met turmoil in an unhappy marriage, and made her way in a world conflicted by politics, war and disease.
The novel is another way of seeing world history -- seeing it through the eyes of someone who, in spite of her station and gender, overcame to see the events in the time of crisis.
It is an intriguing book written in a fluid academic style, which is seldom boring and rarely leaves the reader confused as to where the story is going and how each worldly event intertwines with Elizabeth Marsh's life.
I would give "The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh" three and a half out of five stars.