The years 1658-1667 form one of the most vital and eventful periods in English history, witnessing the Plague, the Great Fire of London, the naval wars against the Dutch, and, above all, the transformation of Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth into the Restoration monarchy of Charles II.

Ronald Hutton's detailed study of the period returns to nearly all the extant manuscript sources and reworks every issue afresh. The result is an absorbing and perceptive account of national experience as government policy changed, influenced by the interaction of central concerns, local perspectives, and the various social, political, and religious groups.