In his Introduction, the late Fr Edwards quotes Archbishop Mathew's succinct summary of the three solutions to the gunpowder plot: according to the orthodox, old-fashioned view Salisbury discovered the conspiracy, a second judgement is that he nourished it and a third that is that he invented it. The third solution is carefully investigated in this book. In his very typical style, Fr Edwards constructs his narrative of events by drawing heavily on the extant primary sources - which is not to say that he does not notice the huge bibliography on the subject. Sir Robert Cecil, Lord Salisbury does not come well out of this extensive study - but that is only to be expected.

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 is one of the most commemorated events in English history, but remains shrouded in mystery. The central aim of his account is to explain why there should have been a plot at all, and why the conspirators risked their lives for what they believed to be the cause of God and their country. The narrative reads like a detective story as Antonia Fraser sets with sympathy and objectivity to untangle the intricate relationship between religion and politics in early-17th-century England.

A closer view of the famous scheme to murder James I & blow up both Houses of Parliament. Illus.

This series explores key dates in history: what happened on the day and the background and consequences of the event. Each title tells the story in a crisp, fast-paced style, and color and black and white photos, map, and timeline support the text. The books are perfect quick-read introductions to the dramatic events, and equally useful as high interest/low reading level books.