England's Troubles

Inthispath-breakingstudy,JonathanScottarguesthatseventeenth-centuryEnglishhistorywasshapedbythreeprocesses.Thefirstwasdestructive:thatexperienceofpoliticalinstabilitywhichcontemporariescalled'ourtroubles'.Thesecondwascreative:itsspectacularintellectualconsequenceintheEnglishrevolution.Thethirdwasreconstructive:thelongrestorationvoyagetowardsafehavenfromtheseterrifyingstorms.DrivingthetroubleswerefearsandpassionsanimatedbyEuropeanreligiousandpoliticaldevelopments.Theresultregisteredtheimpactuponfragileinstitutionsofpowerfulbeliefs.Onefeatureofthisanalysisisitsrelationshipofthehistoryofeventstothatofideas.Anotherisitsconsiderationoftheseprocessesacrossthecenturyasawhole.ThemostimportantisitsrestorationofthisextraordinaryEnglishexperiencetoitsEuropeancontext.