ABSTRACT
The seventeenth century is a dramatic period of English history, and events such as the Civil War, the execution of the King, the rise of Cromwell and the Glorious Revolution have excited the comment of innumerable historians over the centuries. Despite this, it is not always easy for the first-time student to pick their way through the alternative explanations that such commentators provide. In order to do this, it is necessary to have a grasp of the main events and phenomena of the period, of how contemporaries viewed the issues and personalities of the day, and an understanding of the differing perspectives from which historians have written over time. This book aims to provide all three.
