Product Description

Pauline Croft's clear and concise study provides a narrative of the reign of King James VI and I in his dominions of England, Ireland and Scotland, together with an authoritative analysis of his remarkable, though flawed, achievements. Croft emphasises the inter-relationships between domestic and foreign policy, religious tensions at home and abroad, finance and parliamentary politics, whilst also discussing the king's writings, his personal life and his approach to the problems posed by multiple monarchy. Ideal for both students and general readers, King James is the first account of the monarch to place him in the context of all his kingdoms.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #538649 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 214 pages

About the Author
PAULINE CROFT is Reader in Early Modern History at Royal Holloway University of London. She has published widely on British history in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Customer Reviews

Excellent summary of a dual monarchy..
This book is clear and concise in its format and puts across the key issues in James' reign without clouding them, as so many books do, in a complicated style. This is an excellent book for any student, as a basic background to detailed study or as an account in itself. Pauline Croft also manages to adequately explain the problems James faced as monarch of both Scotland and England and does not neglect either reign.

A good read.
I have only just started to research the reign of King James VI os Scotland and I of England and this is the first of several books I have purchased on this subject. I have found the book very readable. Pauline Croft has a way of reaching the reader without academic pomposity. Being able to display a wide range of thorough depth of research and well thought-out examination of the facts, as well as rejection of those that could be misleading.
It makes it all the more interesting to read history when it is laid out like this.

Lacklustre King
For such a short book, it took me a long time to get through it the first read. Not quite so long on the second read!! I found this a bit heavy going. All politics, politics and more politics. Whilst politics are intrinsically linked with all our monarchs, I'm left feeling that I've learnt something of James as a politician/ head of state, but little or nothing about the character of the man.