Puritans and roundheads

This book focuses on Sir Robert Harley (1579-1656), a Herefordshire knight who was a prominent member of the Long Parliament, and his third wife, Lady Brilliana (1598-1643), and is based mainly on their private papers. But Eales gives us much more than a family history. She uses her study of the Harleys as an avenue into investigating the political and religious tensions which tore England apart in the middle of the 17th century. Great care is taken to establish the proper local and national context for the issues explored, and throughout the book astute comparisons are made between the experiences of Herefordshire and other counties in England. The result is a compelling analysis which sheds valuable new light on the origins and nature of the English Civil War. - Preface.