“The 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688 was so called precisely because it was not in the modern sense revolutionary. It was a political stroke by men at the top of the social and political structure in Britain aimed not at any radical change but at the restoration of certain established rights and institutions which were being encroached on by the monarchy. The book deals in depth with events in Britain during the 1680s. It is not, though, another narrative history, but concentrates instead on two aspects of these crucial years: the development and working of the machinery of government, and the opinions of men in influential positions as to how it ought to work. The author argues that after 1680 England seemed to be moving inexorably towards absolutism and that only the events of 1688 led to a change of direction, perhaps at the last possible moment. This is an illuminating study of kingship and of citizen-ship, in which the author brings to his task a perception and originality that will be as enriching for the student of this period as for the general reader.”-Publisher.
