In his third History of England, following Foundation and Tudors, two-time Whitbread Award winner and Daedalus favorite Peter Ackroyd continues his dazzling account of the history of England with King James and the Stuart monarchy, which brought into a single realm the nations of England and Scotland—albeit a realm marked by political divisions that echo to this day. England's turbulent 17th-century politics and civil wars are vividly laid out, but so too is the cultural and social life of the period, notable for its extraordinarily rich literature, including Shakespeare's late masterpieces, Jacobean tragedy, the poetry of John Donne and Milton, and Thomas Hobbes's great philosophical treatise, Leviathan.

"Ackroyd is a wonderful storyteller, and he has a wonderful and vitally important story to tell ... providing excellent insights into the character and motivations of several of the prime movers of events.... He eloquently describes the development of literature, the ongoing religious controversies, and the evolving political sympathies and their effects on the lives and opinions of ordinary citizens."—Booklist (starred review)