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.)