Early Stuart England is one of the most intensively examined periods in English history. The outwardly successful reign of Elizabeth I gives way during the period to the breakdown of consensus, civil war, and eventually to the destruction of the monarchy itself. The reasons for this are hotly disputed. The tradional explanations have been challenged by the "Revisionsts", whose own work is being challenged in its turn. Although it takes proper account of the important secondary material, this book, therefore, is based on primary sources. Whilst the main focus is on politics and religion, the book also points to the significane of economic, social and cultural currents in the history of the period.