Samuel Rawson Gardiner was an eminent British historian of the Victorian era whose works on the 17th century remain a respected source. This book, though short, features many of Gardner’s strengths, such as his balanced portrayal of character--the doomed Strafford, Laud, and King Charles, and the visionary leader, Oliver Cromwell. Great battles unfold across England, Scotland, and Ireland. The author delineates the constitutional issues in play in this national struggle between doctrinal certainty and liberty of conscience, between the royal power, Parliament, the populace of London, and the soldiers of the New Model Army. (Summary by Pamela Nagami, M.D.)
Chapters
1 Ch. 1: The Puritans and the House of Commons, Section 1: Reformers and Puritans 12 min 2 Ch. 1, Section 2: The Tudor Monarchy 13 min 3 Ch. 1, Section 3: The Hampton Court Conference and the Purposed Union with Scotland 9 min 4 Ch. 1, Section 4: The New Impositions and the Great Contract 7 min 5 Ch. 2: The Spanish Alliance, Section 1: The Gunpowder Plot 6 min 6 Ch. 2, Section 2: James I and Spain 14 min 7 Ch. 2, Section 3: The Spaniards in the Palatinate 15 min 8 Ch. 2, Section 4: The Loss of the Palatinate 8 min 9 Ch. 2: Section 5: The Journey to Madrid 11 min 10 Ch. 3: The Ascendency of Buckingham, Section 1: The Last Parliament of James I 8 min 11 Ch. 3, Section 2: The First Parliament of Charles I 8 min 12 Ch. 3, Section 3: The Impeachment of Buckingham, and the Expedition to Rhé 10 min 13 Ch. 3, Section 4: The Petition of Right and the Assassination of Buckingham 10 min 14 Ch. 4: The Personal Government of Charles I, Section 1: Taxation and Religion 9 min 15 Ch. 4, Section 2: The Breach between the King and the Commons 12 min 16 Ch. 4, Section 3: The Beginnings of Unparliamentary Government 14 min 17 Ch. 4, Section 4: Ecclesiastical Parties 10 min 18 Ch. 4, Section 5: New England 6 min 19 Ch. 5: The Reign of Thorough, Section 1: General Enforcement of Conformity 12 min 20 Ch. 5, Section 2: Ship-money 10 min 21 Ch. 5, Section 3: Prynne, Bastwick, and Burton 7 min 22 Ch. 5, Section 4: Wentworth in Ireland 11 min 23 Ch. 6: Resistance in Scotland and England, Section 1: The Downfall of Episcopacy in Scotland 9 min 24 Ch. 6, Section 2: The Bishops' Wars and the Short Parliament 8 min 25 Ch. 6, Section 3: The Meeting of the Long Parliament and the Execution of Strafford 8 min 26 Ch. 6, Section 4: Demands of the Commons 12 min 27 Ch. 6, Section 5: The Grand Remonstrance and the Rupture with the King 13 min 28 Ch. 7: The Downfall of Royalty, Section 1: The Beginning of the Civil War 14 min 29 Ch. 7, Section 2: Presbyterians and Independents 14 min 30 Ch. 7, Section 3: Marston Moor and Naseby 14 min 31 Ch. 7, Section 4: The Army and the Parliament 13 min 32 Ch. 7, Section 5: The Second Civil War and the Execution of the King 9 min 33 Ch. 8, Section 2: The Dissolution of the Long Parliament 10 min 34 Ch. 8: The Commonwealth, Section 1: Cromwell's Last Victories 13 min 35 Ch. 8, Section 3: The Assembly of Nominees 6 min 36 Ch. 9: Oliver's Protectorate, Section 1: Oliver's First Parliament 11 min 37 Ch. 9, Section 2: The Major-Generals 11 min 38 Ch. 9, Section 3: Oliver's Second Parliament 10 min 39 Ch. 9, Section 4: Death of Oliver 8 min 40 Ch. 10: End of the Revolution, Section 1: Anarchy 7 min 41 Ch. 10, Section 2: The Restoration 7 min 42 Ch. 10, Section 3: The Ecclesiastical Settlement of the Restoration 15 min 43 Ch. 10, Section 4: The Revival of Parliamentary Opposition 6 min 44 Ch. 10, Section 5: Revival of the Idea of Toleration 9 min 45 Ch. 10, Section 6: The Revolution of 1688 7 min
