Image Wars: Promoting Kings and Commonwealths in England, 1603-1660

Spin and photo opportunities may appear to have emerged onto the political scene only recently, but in fact image and its manipulation have always been vital to the authority of rulers. This book, the second in Kevin Sharpe’s trilogy exploring image, power, and communication in early modern England, examines its importance during the turbulent seventeenth century. From the coronation of James I to the end of Cromwell’s protectorate, Sharpe considers how royalists and parliamentarians—often using the same vocabularies—sought to manage their public image through words, pictures, and performances in order to win support and secure and enhance their authority.