Book Review – Stuart Britain – A very short introduction

All the books in this series are very educational.

This book is about the reigns of the Stuart kings of Britain from James I to William III.

As you know, there were two revolutions in England in the 1600s, one in the period 1642-49 and another for good measure in 1688.

The book covers Society and Economic Life, Government and Law, and Intellectual and Religious Life, giving a complete picture of the country. The Civil Wars, The Commonwealth, and The Restoration are all covered as well.

If you’re interested in the English Civil Wars and Oliver Cromwell, this book is a great place to start as it provides much needed background as to why Charles I was executed. The Further Reading section has some great suggestions about which books to read next.

There is one startling fact, at least to my mind. The period 1569 – 1642 was the most peaceful period in England’s / Britain’s history up until that time. And then you could say that things changed. Let that be a lesson to all of us – even though people may look happy and content it doesn’t take much to start a revolution, in this case one man’s arrogance in dealing with one section of his population led to his overthrow.