This key Seminar Study was first published as Restoration England:
The Reign of Charles II in 1985. Unavailable for several years, the
book has now been heavily revised, and expanded, to take account of over
ten years of new scholarship. In particular, the Second Edition reflects
new work done on political parties, the constitution, taxation, the
church, and the legacy of the civil wars. As ever primary documents
illustrate points raised in the text and an extensive bibliography
directs readers to further reading. New for this edition is a chronology
of the main events in Charles II's reign which, given the thematic
treatment of the reign, readers are likely to find particularly useful.
When Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 the event was widely
greeted as a return to normal after the upheavals of civil war. In this
short study Professor John Miller explores how far this was true and how
far the civil wars had, in fact, weakened (or strengthened) the
monarchy. The book divides neatly into two: in the first part the
'Restoration Settlement' of 1660-4 is examined in detail; and, in the
second, the salient features of government, politics and religion under
Charles II are considered, seeking to show how well the restored regime
worked in practice. Throughout, complex issues of change over time are
explained as clearly and concisely as possible and the Restoration is
placed in the wider context of the development of England in the
seventeenth century.
