John Miller reassesses James II, whose brief reign ended in the Revolution of 1688. The biography follows James’s naval and political career under Charles II, his open conversion to Catholicism and his accession with substantial initial support despite deep suspicion of his religion.
Miller examines the Monmouth Rebellion, standing army, dispensing power and attempts to create religious toleration by overriding established institutions. He shows how James’s inflexibility and mistrust alienated Anglicans and political allies, allowing the birth of a Catholic heir and William of Orange’s invasion to turn opposition into revolution.
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