Robert Harley: Speaker, Secretary of State, and Premier Minister

The first biography of Robert Harley (1661-1724)-a dominant figure in English politics in the late seventeenth century and throughout the reign of Queen Anne, when British political institutions underwent crucial changes. Brian W. Hill sets Harley’s career firmly within the political and social context of contemporary religion, regionalism, dynastic conflict, and factionalism. His much-needed study is an important contribution to our understanding of a major figure in a complex and exciting period of British history.