Clare Jackson’s dazzling account of English history’s most radical era tells the story of a nation in a state of near continual crisis.

Elizabeth did defeat the Spanish Armada and, after some time and effort, the uprising in Ireland too. The scholarship is sometimes worn a little too heavily on its sleeve, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed at times by the torrent of names of the many ambassadors, diplomats etc.This dazzling, original and hugely engaging book tells the story of a nation in a state of near continual crisis. If you are looking for an update on the political and military history of seventeenth century England / Britain, this book is not for you. Viewing our troubled archipelago through the eyes of foreigners in this way is one of the great strengths of the book. Starting on the eve of the Spanish Armada's descent in 1588 and concluding with a not-so 'Glorious Revolution' a hundred years later, Devil-Land is a spectacular reinterpretation of England's vexed and enthralling past. The book looks at England from the perspective of its continental enemies (and sometime allies, depending on the geopolitical shifts).

The only thing I was left wondering at the end was why, if England was seen as such a rogue state / European pariah, its enemies were too disorganised to unite temporarily and arrange an uninvited, proper invasion. It is a history of England so Scotland remains a foreign player in spite of the fact it shared a monarch after 1603. Catastrophe nevertheless bred creativity, and Jackson makes brilliant use of eyewitness accounts - many penned by stupefied foreigners - to dramatize her great story. For her part, James’s Danish wife, Queen Anna, wrote in seven languages and after abandoning Lutheranism for Catholicism, became one of a succession of Catholic queens consort – Henrietta Maria, Catherine of Braganza and Mary of Modena – who all brought separate networks of political patronage, confessional attachments and foreign entanglements.England was Anglican, Scotland was Calvinist and Ireland was Catholic, in a time when they shared a king who was supposed to be appointed by God. In emphasising themes of confusion, distrust and trepidation, rather than confidence, buoyancy and assurance, Devil-Land’s is a self-consciously subjective argument. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. With rare exceptions such as bank holidays, the book group meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7.