Class and State in Early Modern France explores the economic, social, ideological and political foundations of French Absolutism. David Parker's challenging interpretation presents French Absolutism as a remarkably successful attempt to preserve the political and ideological structures of the traditional order.
This reassessment runs contrary to much revisionist historiography, rejecting the widespread tendency to treat French Absolutism either as an instrument of capitalism or political modernisation. It also discusses a number of contentious issues such as the agrarian...

Drawing on the records of the British Government, this first volume studies the background to privatisation and the privatisations that took place during the two Conservative Governments led by Margaret Thatcher, from 1979 to 1987.