"This detailed and absorbing study discusses the nature of the campaign that led to the battle of Naseby, its character and its consequences. It explains why its outcome was such a crucial factor in the loss of the first English civil war by the Royalists and places it within the general context of the military history of the war. The character of Charles I is analysed as both a ruler and commander-in-chief and Dr. Ashley traces the King's responsibility for the outbreak of the war and its eventual loss to the Parliamentarians." "The course of Charles's career after his defeat at Naseby is thoroughly documented; his attempts to raise a new army and his sufferings first as a prisoner of the Scots and then as a prisoner of Parliament portray a complex and contradictory character. The book also considers the consequences of his escape in 1647 from Hampton Court to the Isle of Wight, where he was able to organize the invasion of England by a Scottish army and to reopen negotiations for a constitutional settlement with a majority in the House of Commons. The study concludes with an analysis of the dramatic turn of events which followed upon this, leading finally to Charles's trial and execution. This authoritative volume is complemented by eight pages of colour plates and over eighty black and white illustrations, and will appeal to all those with an interest in this critical period of English history."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved