The Stuart Age provides an accessible introduction to England's century of civil war and revolution, including the causes of the English Civil War; the nature of the English Revolution; the aims and achievements of Oliver Cromwell; the continuation of religious passion in the politics of Restoration England; and the impact of the Glorious Revolution on Britain. The fifth edition has been thoroughly revised and updated by Peter Gaunt to reflect new work and changing trends in research on the Stuart age. It expands on key areas including the early Stuart economic, religious and social context; key military events and debates surrounding the English Civil War; colonial expansion, foreign policy and overseas wars; and significant developments in Scotland and Ireland. A new opening chapter provides an important overview of current historiographical trends in Stuart history, introducing readers to key recent work on the topic. The Stuart Age is a long-standing favourite of lecturers and students of early modern British history, and this new edition is essential reading for those studying Stuart Britain.

The Stuart Age enjoys a hard won reputation as one of the best introductions to the 'British Isles' during an era of civil war and revolution. This updated edition, containing much that is new, makes the volume still more indispensable to students and teachers alike. Dr David Ceri Jones, Aberystwyth University, UK The late Barry Coward's The Stuart Age, 1603-1714 has long been regarded as the best single-volume introduction to the history of seventeenth-century England. This revised fifth edition elegantly updates Coward's work for the post-Cameron generation. The book is prefaced with an excellent new introduction by Peter Gaunt, which surveys the dizzying quantity of new writing on the subject which has appeared since the fourth edition was published, in 2012, and incisively summarises the current state of the field. Gaunt's deep knowledge of all aspects of seventeenth-century English life makes him the ideal scholar to refresh and rejuvenate Coward's original text - and his work has ensured that, in its latest incarnation, The Stuart Age will continue to be required reading for all who teach and study this most fascinating of historical periods. Mark Stoyle, University of Southampton, UK