Synopses & Reviews
A clothier and a deeply religious man, Joseph Ryder faithfully kept a diary from 1733 until his death, two and a half million words later,and#160;in 1768. Recently rediscovered and brilliantlyand#160;interpreted by historian Matthew Kadane, Ryderand#8217;s diary provides an illuminating, real-life perspective on the relationship between capitalism and Protestantism at a time whenand#160;Britain was rapidly changing from a traditional toand#160;a modernand#160;society. It also provides fascinating insights on the early modern family, the birth of industrialization, the history of Puritanism, the origins of Unitarianism, melancholy,and#160;and the making of the British middle class.
Review
and#8220;The Watchful Clothier is one of the most extraordinary works of history I can remember reading. Kadane has unearthed the missing link of Max Weberand#8217;s famed and#8216;Protestant ethicand#8217;: the vast spiritual diary of an eighteenth-century tradesman halfway through the transformation from Richard Baxter to Benjamin Franklin.and#8221;and#8212;Ethan Shagan, University of California Berkeley
Review
"The personal experience of England's transition to capitalism comes alive in this beautifully-crafted study of a devout Protestant who is also a diligent businessman."and#8212;Joyce Appleby, author of The Relentless Revolution: A History of Capitalism
Review
"Kadane's beautifully researched and written book explores great themes in small compass,'the seismic cultural shifts in early modern Britain' in the diary of a Puritan, the 'revaluation of the middle class' in the struggle of a businessman to live a godly life."and#8212;Deirdre N. McCloskey, author of Bourgeois Dignity
Review
and#160;andldquo;This brilliant and beautifully written study of the diary of an eighteenth-century clothier deserves to be ranked with the classics of biographical history. Kadane tackles most of the big questions of the early modern period, chief among them Weberandrsquo;s study of the relationship between Calvinism and capitalism, and provides an object lesson on the close reading of texts, mining apparently incidental remarks to reveal a host of questions and complexities in his subjectandrsquo;s personality and religious concerns.andrdquo;andmdash;Phyllis Mack, Rutgers University
Review
and#160;andquot;Kadane's analysis of Joseph Ryder's spiritual journal provides an absorbing case study of the complex and stressful relationship between the English puritan tradition, the demands of a burgeoning industrial capitalism and the challenge of rationalist religion. It offers a fresh perspective on the experience of the eighteenth century.andrdquo;andmdash;Keith Wrightson, Yale University
Review
and#8220;Superb . . . all in all, this is a remarkable book.and#8221;and#8212;American Historical Review
Review
andldquo;Fascinating reading . . . Kadane has produced a consistently excellent piece of scholarship that challenges and adds many layers to Weberandrsquo;s classic statement on the spirit of capitalism . . . well-written and engaging.andrdquo;andmdash;The Journal of British Studiesandnbsp;
About the Author
Matthew Kadane is an associate professor of history at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.