Early Modern England 1485-1714: A Narrative History, 2nd Edition

Early Modern England, 1485–1714: A Narrative History is a lively, up-to-date survey of the Tudor–Stuart period. The narrative shows how England transformed itself from a feudal and relatively minor European state into a constitutional monarchy and the wealthiest and most powerful nation on Earth. The story of struggles over governmental and religious policies is enlivened by clear snapshots of how social and cultural changes affected ordinary English people at the beginning, middle, and end of the period. The authors also show how Irish, Scottish, and Welsh developments affected English history.

This new edition takes into account recent scholarship on Henry VIII, Commonwealthmen, the Poor Law, and the Interregnum, and it extends coverage of the Reformations throughout the British Isles, as well as the European, Scottish, and Irish contexts of the Restoration and Revolution of 1688-9. There is also a new section on women’s roles and the historiography of women and gender.

Written by two leading scholars and experienced teachers of the subject, Early Modern England assumes no prior knowledge of English history. Student aids to the text include maps, illustrations, and genealogies.