Literature of the Stuart Successions ─ An Anthology

Literature of the Stuart Successionsis an anthology of primary material relating to the Stuart successions. The six Stuart successions (1603, 1625, 1660, 1685, 1688-9, 1702) punctuate this turbulent period of British history. In addition, there were two accessions to the role of Lord Protector (those of Oliver and Richard Cromwell). Each succession generated an outpouring of publications in a wide range of forms and genres, including speeches, diary-entries, news reports, letters and sermons. Above all, successions were marked in poems, by some of the greatest writers of the age. By gathering together some of the very best Stuart succession writing, Literature of the Stuart Successions offers fresh perspectives upon the history and culture of the period. It includes fifty texts (or extracts), selected to demonstrate the breadth and significance of succession writing, as well as introductory and explanatory material.

Andrew McRae is Professor of Renaissance Studies at the University of Exeter

John West is Assistant Professor of Early Modern Literature and Drama at the University of Nottingham