The Tithe War has received very favourable reviews
Archaeologia Cambrensis, Vol. 174, 2025, pp396-7
Such is the depth of archival research, the close, sophisticated reading of organisation and politicking, the extraordinary attention to activist biographies, the deep appreciation for the importance of counter-protests and conservative (and often Conservative) opposition to change, that it is hard to envisage a better political history. There is undoubtedly more work to be done on the form and geography of resistance to distraint, and the protests at the auctions of distrained goods and produce. The chapter on what happened after tithe commutation, whilst impressive in its overview, also demands deeper digs into the archive better to picture the local colour of the experience of the tithe in the 1840s through to the 1870s. But this is a mighty achievement, a deeply impressive study by a fine historian at the top of their game.
Carl Griffin, University of Sussex
The English Historical Review, 2026
Bulaitis recounts vivid and remarkable episodes of espionage and dawn raids, as both tithe-payers and owners sought to outflank each other. Most notably, the inability of the Church to recoup tithe through public auction prompted the creation of an arms-length limited liability company, General Dealers, to seize and sell on stock without damaging the reputation of the Church. It is one among a number of episodes that showcases the book’s extensive archival foundations and the author’s keen eye for the often theatrical and comic elements of the conflict.
Bulaitis offers a persuasive attempt to recentre the tithe conflict, examining its imbrication with broader contemporary questions about political economy, the security and justifications of property rights, and the confrontations between collective action and state authority.
Andrew Phemister, Newcastle University
Archaeologia Cantiana, Vol. 147, 2026
John Bulaitis’ important and well-written book fills that yawning gap and deservedly was joint winner of the Joan Thirsk Memorial annual prize for the best book on rural and agrarian history awarded by the British Agricultural History Society.
This is a profoundly splendid piece of research, balanced in argument, measured in assessment, and judicial in analysis. John Bulaitis concludes his book with the comment that ‘the tithe war reveals how, as with other aspects of modernity, the collective engagement of ordinary men and women has been the most powerful driver of democratic reform and social progress’. A lesson to be learned and acted upon.
David Killingray
Journal of Ecclesiastical History, Vol. 77, Issue 2, 2026, pp. 456-8.
This book is a kind of economic history, but its author’s passionate attention is often turned more towards politics, with a strong focus on legal practice. There is also some fascinating discussion of rural popular culture in relation to the staging of mock trials, burning of effigies and rough music… Bulaitis does demonstrate very well that the opposition to traditional social and economic privilege led to an intertwining of left-wing radicalism, originally derived from non-conformist hostility to the Anglican establishment, and rightwing volkishness.
Dominic Janes, Keele University
The Agricultural History Review, Vol. 73, pt 1, 2025, pp. 142-3.
Bulaitis successfully explores [the tithe war’s] wider social and political implications. The book is well-written and based on extensive archival research.
Michael Tichelar, University of the West of England