Charles I's accession to the throne in 1625 was probably the most untroubled for over 200 years. Yet after seventeen years he found himself involved in a civil war that split the nation in two; he was later deposed, convicted of treason and publicly executed. Through an excellent selection of primary sources this book looks at the personality and policies of Charles I, and considers how far he was responsible for his own destruction. It includes not only written documents, but also paintings, coins and architectural drawings, which help to throw light on this enigmatic monarch and deeply private man. This successful volume in the Cambridge Topics in History series is reprinted with a full colour cover.