ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter will give a general background to the life and career Sir Henry Bennet, 1st earl of Arlington, offering readers a broad understanding of the main aspects of his trajectory in English and international politics. There follows a discussion of Arlington’s portrayal by commentators during his lifetime and by historians since. It concludes with thoughts on how well this collection fits with the established historiography of the man and his time, and occasionally rights some historic wrongs.
