Book Description
Charles II: The Last Rally is a vivid portrayal of Charles II, as well as a historical investigation into the role of monarchy in pre-Revolution Europe. It looks closely at the role that the burgeoning financial powers played in shaping European politics and the effects of these powers on the English monarchy and on Europe generally. Belloc brings to his writing an intimate knowledge of the countries about which he is writing and a fervent belief in the Catholic faith and its role in the history of Europe.
About the Author
Hilaire Belloc began his academic career with a lecture tour of the United States in 1892. He became a member of the Fabian Society in the early 1900s and met George Bernard Shaw and H. G. Wells, who helped him obtain work with newspapers such as the Daily News and The Speaker. Eventually he became literary editor of the Morning Post. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1906. He also wrote several novels, such as Mr. Clutterbuck's Election and A Change in the Cabinet, along with historical works such as The French Revolution and History of England. Belloc also published a series of historical biographies: Oliver Cromwell, James II, Richelieu, Wolsey, Napoleon, and Charles I.
Charles II: The Last Rally FROM THE PUBLISHER
In The Last Rally, Belloc narrates a central episode in the decline of the English Monarchy. Restored to the throne following the interlude of Cromwell's "Commonwealth," Charles II devoted his life as King of England to maintaining the integrity of the throne against all the forces arrayed against it: the power of the great landowners who worked through the Parliament; the influence of the Lawyers' Guild; and the irresistible mercantile and financial strength of the City of London. The story that Belloc brings to life is thus one of survival: the story of a ship of state brought "through peril and storm under a great captain." It is also the story of manhood and determination in the face of overwhelming odds; as such it is a story that Hilaire Belloc was eminently qualified to write.