Charles II (Penguin Monarchs)

by Clare Jackson Book 17 in the Penguin Monarchs series.

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2.5(5)

Clare Jackson examines Charles II as a survivor of civil war, execution, exile and restoration. The biography follows his political education abroad, his return in 1660 and the challenge of rebuilding monarchy after republican rule without reopening the conflicts that had destroyed his father.

Charles governed through charm, secrecy and tactical flexibility, but his reign faced plague, fire, war, religious division and repeated succession crises. Jackson explores his relations with Parliament, mistresses and ministers, the fear of Catholic influence and the methods by which he preserved both his throne and a workable political settlement.