The Murder of King James I

[An] absorbing and meticulously researched study -Marcus Nevitt, Spectator -- Marcus Tanner Spectator Cogswell and Bellany are both accomplished story-tellers, and their collaboration is much more than the sum of their considerable parts... This is an astonishing detective work. It is also a magnificent piece of political reconstruction, locating each twist and turn in the plot within a fully international context... This book does more than anything published in the last 20 years to explain why Charles I never had a chance and why there was a civil war. -John Morril, History Today -- John Morril History Today [The authors] display sleuthing skills as exceptional as any fictional detective's, having tracked down every reprint and manuscript copy of Eglisham's original text... the richness of the material unearthed is compelling. By the end of this exhaustively researched and elegantly written study, Bellany and Cogswell have made the strongest case imaginable for their thesis - Anne Somerset, Literary Review -- Anne Somerset Literary Review The Murder of King James I is a work of imposing learning, imaginatively and adroitly organised, by two fine scholars who identify an unjustly neglected subject and bring it enjoyably to life. -Blair Worden, London Review of Books -- Blair Worden London Review of Books Brilliant...an original and fascinating contribution to early modern studies... Told with skill by Bellany and Cogswell, it illuminates the perilous path of politics and paranoia that linked high statecraft and gutter gossip from the 1620s to the 1660s. -David Cressy, Journal of British Studies -- David Cressy Journal of British Studies The book is structured like a thriller, and even those familiar with the period will find themselves wanting to know what happens next... The clarity and wit of Bellany and Cogswell's writing, and their inherently interesting subject, mean that The Murder of King James I should appeal to, and deserves to find, a wide audience. -Dr. David Coast, Reviews in History -- Dr. David Coast Reviews in History Despite its bulk it makes for easy reading: it is exciting and accessibly written and introduces personalities, places and topics with care... Bellany and Cogswell have produced an excellent example of the genre, and one which illustrates its potential superbly for a better understanding of political history. -Ronald Hutton, TLS -- Ronald Hutton TLS