The English Civil War remains the most prolonged and traumatic example of internal violence in the history of the state. The Royalist War Effort, 1642-1646 shows how such a war was achieved and sustained, and how ultimately it was won and lost. In the introduction to this reissue of the second edition, Ronald Hutton places his vivid account of the Royalist War effort in modern historical context, bringing the reader up to date with recent developments in the study of the English Civil War. He analyses the influences which affected his own interpretation of events, ensuring that The Royalist War Effort, 1642-1646 remains the most informative and compelling account of the Royalist experience in the English Civil War.