Review of Keay, A. The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown

The Interregnum period (1649-1660) has never captured the imagination of scholars, nor the general public, in the same way which the civil wars of the proceeding decade have.The 1650s saw the three Stuart kingdoms of England (which had annexed Wales in 1284), Scotland and Ireland ruled over by the newborn English Commonwealth, which was succeeded by the English Protectorate in 1653.Caught between the high politics and bloody conflicts of the 1640s and the glamourous (but still bloody) Restoration regime of the 1660s, the 1650s have traditionally, and unfairly, been seen as a stopgap, Britain and Ireland's seventeenth-century lull.It has never attracted the level of scholarly interest which it deserves, and because it remains a complex period which evolved out of the confessional skulduggery and cross-archipelagic politics of the civil wars, it remains a daunting period for general readers to access.For far too long the period has yearned for an accessible overview text which can provide clarity for students and enthusiasts while dispelling the traditional misconceptions which have lingered, despite the excellent work of those few scholars who have tried to penetrate its mists before. 1 This is the task which Dr Anna Keay set herself in her latest book, The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown.Dr Keay will be familiar to many, whether through her previous works which have included monographs on Charles II and James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, through her various TV and radio appearances, or through her stellar work as Director of the Landmark Trust.While Keay has tended to focus on the later seventeenth century, it is difficult to think of a better suited scholar who might be up to the daunting task which this book presents.Keay's objective, as mentioned at several points in the book, is twofold.Firstly, she sought to provide a lively and engaging narrative of the period.Secondly, she hopes that this volume will make the case that the interregnum regimes were vibrant and capable early modern states which were not destined to fail.To achieve this, and to provide for a scholarly and general readership, Keay guides her readers through the 1650s via the experiences of a handful of characters.The selected ensemble are not the usual suspects of 'great men' but include a balance of men and women from a range of backgrounds and perspectives.This produces