Book excerpt: When a large number of the people in Scotland rejected King Charles I's religious policy, they set in motion a train of events that resonated throughout England, Wales, and Ireland and challenged the rule of the king. Between 1637 and 1660 the British Isles were embroiled in a series of wars, rebellions, and revolutions that affected not only all the political and social institutions within them, but all of the people living there. Radical changes in the political relationships within the four nations sparked a series of wars that brought far-reaching political revolution. By spring 1649 the king had been executed, the monarchy abolished in England and Wales, and a republic established. The 1650s saw Scotland and Ireland incorporated into the republic as the wars finally ended. The republic had a brief life but by 1660 it was ended and the monarchy restored, the united nation established in 1653 was again broken into its component parts, and the old institutions seemingly returned to preeminence. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the British and Irish Civil Wars 1637-1660 contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, and military technology, as well as descriptions of the battles of the war. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about this period in history.