Revolution: The Great Crisis of the British Monarchy, 1685-1720 (Allen Lane History)

To an extraordinary extent everyone in Britain still lives under the shadow of the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688. It was a massive, brutal and terrifying event, which completely changed the governments of England, Scotland and Ireland and which was only achieved through overwhelming violence. Initiated by a large Dutch army marching through southern England and climaxing in a series of the most terrible battles ever fought on Irish soil, the revolution by which William III seized James II' kingdoms could only for a very narrow and exclusively English viewpoint be called 'glorious'. Many thousands died during the Revolution, an event that marked a new and final orientation for Britain that, except for a large part of Ireland, has endured to the present day. Revolution brilliantly captures the sense that this was a great turning point in Britain's history, but also shows how severe a price was paid to achieve this.