«Here is an invaluable, user-friendly and compact compendium packed with facts and figures on the seventeenth century — one of the most tumultuous and complex periods in British history. From James I to Queen Anne, the «Companion» includes detailed information on political, religious and cultural developments as well as military activity, foreign affairs, and colonial expansion. Chronologies, biographies, key documents, maps and genealogies, and an extensive bibliography navigate the reader through this fascinating and formative epoch as the book details the key events and themes of the era, including: the English Civil War and its military campaigns; the Gunpowder Plot, Catholic persecution and the influence of Puritanism; imperial adventures in America, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean; Scotland and the Act of Union, 1707; the Irish Confederate wars and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland; the Great Fire of London and the rebuilding of London; biographies of key figures, including women, artists, architects, writers and scientists; and the Restoration and the revival of drama. With complete lists of offices of state, an extensive glossary of key constitutional, political and religious terminology and up-to-date thematic annotated bibliographies to aid further research, this student-friendly reference guide is essential for all those interested in the Stuart Age.»