Jonathan Healey, The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603–1689. Stability was sought through the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. While some reforms remained, the new regime took grotesque revenge on the regicides, even digging up and hanging Cromwell's corpse. Charles II's reign was characterized by a vibrant court culture, the expansion of trade via the East India Company, and the growth of the British Empire. The segment also highlights the polymath Margaret Cavendish, who wrote the pioneering science-fiction work The Blazing World, reflecting the era's fascination with science and power. Despite the "jollity," the Anglican Church forcefully suppressed religious dissenters like the Quakers. (7)
1650
