A Monarchy Transformed: Britain, 1603-1714

A Monarchy Transformed narrates the tempestuous political events of the Stuart dynasty. Beginning with the accession of James I and concluding with the death of Queen Anne, it details the aspirations of subjects and sovereigns, the growth and decay of political institutions and the clashes of ideology and of arms that make seventeenth-century British history one of the most fascinating of epochs. Here can be found the story of the reigns of six monarchs, the course of two revolutions and of religious upheavals that shook the beliefs of seventeenth century Britons to the core. While the political history of England holds centre stage, developments in Scotland and Ireland, as well as the interaction of all three of the Stuart kingdoms, are carefully treated. The narrative is constructed to give full play to circumstance, accident and the impact of personalities in unfolding some of the most dramatic events of British history. Conspiracies, rebellions and revolutions jostle side by side with court intrigue, political infighting and the rise of parties. The personalities of political figures as diverse as the Duke of Buckingham and the Duke of Marlborough, the Earl of Strafford and the Earl of Danby, are captured in vibrant pen portraits. The characters of the two Kings James and Charles, of Oliver Cromwell, William and Mary and Queen Anne are assessed for their impact on the events of their eras. A Monarchy Transformed is a vigorous, concise account of the political developments that changed an isolated archipelago in the corner of Europe into one of the greatest powers of the Western world.