Henry Francis Abell wrote two major studies of Kent. His general History of Kent appeared in 1898, followed by Kent and the Great Civil War in 1901. Abell broke the traditional mould, however, by abandoning detailed accounts of parishes in favour of a recognisably modern account. He not only wrote about local events, but also placed Kent in its righful place in English national history. The book is also embellished by Abell's own charming late Victorian sketches of historical sites such as Deal Castle and Rochester Castle.