Rebellion: Britain's First Stuart Kings, 1567-1642

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.

Table of Contents:
Preface 1: 'How to Reigne Well' Part I: JAMES VI AND I 2: James VI 3: A Stranger in the Land 4: Settling the Affairs of Religion 5: 'One Good Steward would put all in Order' 6: Ireland and Scotland under James I 7: The Bohemian Revolt and the Crisis of the Early 1620s Part II: CHARLES I 8: A Prince 'bred in Parliaments' 9: Halcyon Days or Perilous Times? 10: Contumacious Troublers and Disquieters of the Peace 11: Scotland and Ireland under Charles I 12: The British Crisis 13: The Grievances of the Commonwealth 14: The Irish Rebellion and the Drift to War 15: The Rise of Royalism Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Tim Harris is Munro-Goodwin-Wilkinson Professor in European History at Brown University. He is the author of numerous essays, articles, and books on British history in the early modern period, including most recently Restoration: Charles II and His Kingdoms 1660-1685 (2005) and Revolution: The Great Crisis of the British Monarchy, 1685-1720 (2006).

Review :
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. an up-to-date overview of the politics of these crucial years ... leavened with dry wit and fresh examples 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. 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. [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 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. 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. Harris provides a thrilling narrative with plenty of solid history and some surprises along the way. Formidably large and well-researched. 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. 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 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.