James II & VII Britain's Last Catholic King by Laura Brennan

 

I found this a bit dry at first, but once I got into it, I enjoyed it. It'sa a 'messy' part of history, so it is fairly hard to simplify it, and make all the various intrigues and machinations of the era understandable, but Laura Brennan certainly manages to do this. She also provides a detailed psychological study of James's character.

King James II and VII had a tough childhood, and adolescence. This not only includes his father's terrible execution, but being taken by his father to witness battles, and twice being taken captive and held for ransom. This could have led to his being difficult and uncompromising when he became King. Unfortunately, James was not able to handle different factions like his brother, and he was unsympathetic to Protestants. He became a tyrant, especially after the Monmouth Rebellion, ordering the harshest of punishments. He also promoted his fellow Catholics, which was actually unlawful. This tyranny led to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when he was deposed

During his last years in exile, he became much nicer, apparently, transforming himself into a reflective man, and finding contentment. He turned to the Church, and had a more peaceful life.

I recommend this for anyone interested in this era, or English monarchs, generally.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.