He was the illegitimate son of a king, a gallant and brave military hero, charming, handsome and well loved both within the court and with women; James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, had the life many would have envied in the seventeenth century. Monmouth lived in an age that was on the cusp of modernity. He lived through some of the biggest events and scandals of seventeenth century British history, including: the Restoration of his father, King Charles II; The Great Fire of London in 1666 and the last great plague to sweep through London killing thousands. James also experienced the political scandal of the Popish Plot; became embroiled in the foiled Rye House Plot, and was at the centre of the Exclusion Crisis, which was a major catalyst for the modern creation of our party political system. But what would turn the beloved darling of the Restoration court into a leading rebel? AUTHOR: Born in London, Laura Brennan initially trained to become a journalist at Bournemouth University before gaining a BA Hons. degree in History (2:1) from London Metropolitan University in 2005. While working at BBC Outside Broadcasts, she studied part time to gain her MA in History at Queen Mary University of London 2007 to 2009. It was while writing her Masters dissertation that she fell in love with the Duke of Monmouth. When not writing, Laura can be found enjoying the museums and galleries of London, snuggled up with a book or planning her next adventure in Europe.
30 b/w illustrations