Kent and Europe 1450-1640

<b>An in-depth overview of Kent's economy society and politics and their relationship with Kent's environs over two centuries.</b><br><br><br>Kent is surrounded by water on three sides close to both the European continent and London: geography that has influenced those who have lived there in countless ways. This book explores their history in this setting from the mid-fifteenth to mid-seventeenth centuries emphasising Kent's deep connection with Europe. Its chapters which draw on a wide range of local and national sources primarily centre on maritime affairs reflecting the historical and ongoing significance of the sea to the region's inhabitants. These include a bold new description of Kent at the end of the Middle Ages and a reconstruction of the county's early modern maritime trade including its merchants both native and foreign the commodities traded as well as the impact of migration. An in-depth study also provides quantitative analyses of shipping and of the lives and careers of the shipboard community. <br><br>Furthermore there is a detailed examination of the military community of Kent with a particular focus on the county's coastal fortifications and a chapter on predatory maritime activities in adjacent waters. Overall the book puts forward the findings of deep research that connects Kent's economy society and politics with its environs over a long period. As such it exemplifies how future county studies might be composed.