A System of Ambition?: British Foreign Policy, 1660-1793 (Studies in Modern History) Book

This study both provides a coherent and comprehensive account of British foreign policy during a period that was crucial for the development of Britain as a major power. It uses the study of the factors that played a major role in the formation and execution of foreign policy in order to throw fresh light on the British state, its means of operation and the political culture of the period. The book is divided into two sections - analytical and narrative. The first offers a thematic analysis of British foreign policy, paying especial attention to - the role of Parliament and the influence of the Crown but also considering such factors as strategic problems, the role of trade, the influence of public opinion and the nature of the press coverage of foreign affairs. The second section covers the period from the accession of Charles II to Britain's entry into the French Revolutionary War.Read More