A study of politics and society in the revolution of 1688, when James II was removed from the throne of England and replaced by the Protestant monarchs William III and Mary. The importance of the Glorious Revolution, long seen as a crucial shift in British history from absolutism to constitutional monarchy, is questioned here. Professor Speck argues that 1688 did see a decisive movement towards mixed, constitutional monarchy, but that this was by no means inevitable. The book examines the nature of the late Stuart monarchy, and its likely development without the accident of James II. It looks at the personality of James himself, the significance of his flight, and the nature of the conspiracy to invite William of Orange to England and place him on the throne. Finally, the author examines the importance in constitutional terms of the revolution, with its long-lasting social and religious implications.