West Britons: Cornish Identities and the Early Modern British State (South-West Studies)

West Britons provides a fresh interpretation of the bloodiest, most devastating years in Cornwall's history and a wholly new perspective on the history of the far South West of Britain. As a new generation of historians has begun to explore Cornwall's ambivalent position within the English state, nowhere have the insights been more dramatic than in the field of early modern history. This book taps into the contemporary political and historical debates over 'Britishness' and focuses on the question of Cornish identity, popular rebellion and the Civil War, all topics of current fanatical interest among enthusiasts and historians alike. It also includes transcriptions of original documents, useful to teachers and their students, and a list of Cornish Royalist officers, of special interest to genealogists. a 'A significant and original contribution to British history, and also a work for our times. There is nothing else like it in print, and nor is there likely to be in the near future. It makes full and sophisticated reference to current academic debate. At the same time, it is written in a lively, lucid, compelling-even furious-style which will make it easy and attractive to a large public audience.' Ronald Hutton, Professor of History, University of Bristol a 'Stoyle has now a well-established reputation both as a distinguished historian of Cornwall and as a scholar who can relate the history of Cornwall to the history of Britain.' John Morrill, Professor of British and Irish History, Selwyn College, Cambridge a 'This book contributes brilliantly to the new British historiography, establishing Cornwall incontrovertibly as one of the component territories and the Cornish as one of the constituent peoples of the "Atlantic Archipelago".' Philip Payton, Professor of Cornish Studies, University of Exeter