Douglas Liversidge

Books of the "Documentary History Series" recount historical events through the use of scholarly books, as well as accounts contemporary to the period. Thus, most of the text is made up of quotations taken from such works with interconnected phrases and explanatory paragraphs. As a result, the reader is well- positioned to benefit from excerpts from throughout the historical literature.

The present work focuses on the Restoration period of English history. The civil war of the mid- 1600s had culminated in the 1649 execution (by beheading) of Charles I and the 9 year rule of Oliver Cromwell. Following Cromwell's death in 1658, the monarchy was restored with the 1660 crowning of the former king's son, Charles II. This book covers the period from 1649 through 1685 (when Charles II died). Chapters cover Cromwell's reign, life in Puritan England, the collapse of the government, the return of Charles II, his formation of a new government, and life during the ensuing decades in "Merry England". Other aspects covered include the rise of arts and sciences, and the persistent problem of religious diversity.

I found this work to be a useful, concise recounting of a historical period of which I had known little. The Restoration Period, after all, gets virtually no attention in popular films and documentaries or in books for the general public, especially in comparison to the Elizabethan period and the reign of Henry VIII.

I'm not sure who the target audience was for this book -- perhaps early college students or advanced high school students. Either way, it offers a reasonable introduction to its subject.… (más)