A gripping new account of one of the most important and exciting periods of British and Irish history: the reign of the first two Stuart kings, from 1567 to the outbreak of civil war in 1642 - and why ultimately all three of their kingdoms were to rise in rebellion against Stuart rule.
Both James VI and I and his son Charles I were reforming monarchs, who endeavoured to bolster the authority of the crown and bring the churches in their separate kingdoms into closer harmony with one another. Many of James's initiatives proved controversial - his promotion of the plantation of Ulster, his reintroduction of bishops and ceremonies into the Scottish kirk, and his stormy relationship with his English parliaments over religion and finance - but he just about got by. Charles, despite continuing many of his father's policies in church and state, soon ran into difficulties and provoked all three of his kingdoms to rise in rebellion: first Scotland in 1638, then Ireland in 1641, and finally England in 1642.
Was Charles's failure, then, a personal one; was he simply not up to the job? Or was the multiple-kingdom inheritance fundamentally unmanageable, so that it was only a matter of time before things fell apart? Did perhaps the way that James sought to address his problems have the effect of making things more difficult for his son? Tim Harris addresses all these questions and more in this wide-ranging and deeply researched new account, dealing with high politics and low, constitutional and religious conflict, propaganda and public opinion across the three kingdoms - while also paying due attention to the broader European and Atlantic contexts.
Industry Reviews
The interpretations and historiography that Tim Harris brings to bear in Rebellion: Britain's First Stuart Kings, 1567 - 1642 is as sophisticated as it is vast. * John K. Hayden, The Sixteenth Century Journal *
an up-to-date overview of the politics of these crucial years ... leavened with dry wit and fresh examples * Michael Braddick, Times Literary Supplement *
The result is actually an outstandingly successful book, in producing a summary of four decades of discussion that is well-written and well-researched enough to look consensual...It is a thoroughly convincing portrait, fluently sustained through such a large and readable book, and as such deserves to take its place as the standard student text on the period. * Gary Day, formerly principle lecturer in English, De Montford University, The Times Higher Education *
an up-to-date overview of the politics of these crucial years, informed by the most influential writing in this area ss well as Tim Harris's own expertise. It is leavened with dry wit and fresh examples: a thorough account of where the centre of gravity of academic opinion now lies and range of possible interpretations around the centre. * Michael Braddick, Times Literary Supplement *
[Harris] has written one of the best accounts available of what led to war ... He has produced one of the most comprehensive and multifaceted accounts of the time of his generation * Jerry Brotton, Sunday Times *
For anyone wanting a succinct and reliable guide to the impact of the Stuart government in all its constituent territories, this book will henceforth be the starting point of choice Rebellion is a work of ambitious range, elegant concision and unfailingly, stimulating argument. * John Adamson, Literary Review *
It is a thoroughly convincing portrait, fluently sustained through such a large and readable book, and a such deserves to take its place as the standard student text on the period. * Ronald Hutton, Times Higher Education *
Harris provides a thrilling narrative with plenty of solid history and some surprises along the way. * Steve Craggs, Northern Echo *
Formidably large and well-researched. * Spectator *
Harris brings an enormous amount of information and scholarship to bear on the tiniest of moments ... Harris is always a precise guide and his sensible and weighty conclusions are well argued. * Jerome de Groot, History Today *
This is a scholarly and thoughtful book. Harris is at pains to consider both sides of any argument and produces nuanced and balanced arguments ... definitely rewarding * John Miller, History *
This magisterial overview of a highly complex period of British history engages equally effectively with political and religious history while integrating cultural, social, and intellectual contexts into its analyses. It is lucidly structured, well-written, and vividly sustained with rich archival evidence. Above all, it reminds us why the history of early Stuart Britain still fascinates, and why it still matters. * Alastair Bellany, American Historical Review *
