From the city of Calais, on the northern coast of France, one may look over the water on a clear day and see the white cliffs of Dover, in England. At this point the English Channel is only twenty-one miles wide. But this narrow water has dangerous currents, and often fierce winds sweep over it, so that small ships find it hard to cross. This rough Channel has more than once spoiled the plans of England's enemies, and the English people have many times thanked God for their protecting seas.

Major intellectual and cultural history of intolerance and toleration in early modern Enlightenment Europe.

This radical reassessment of the origins, circumstances and impact of the Revolution of 1688-89 takes a fresh look at the Glorious Revolution in its parliamentary, religious, and economic context and places it in its European setting. Eveline Cruickshanks argues that James II was a revolutionary king and that the Revolution eventually enabled Britain to become a world power.