Michael C. Questier is Senior Lecturer in History at Queen Mary, University of London. His previous publications include Conversion, Politics and Religion in England 1580–1625 (1996).

Review of the hardback: 'To put it simply, if you want to know the state of 'Catholic' history today, this is where you start … Questier liberally sprinkles his text with humour, ensuring it never becomes too stifling, always the danger with a proverbial doorstep of a book … he has successfully produced a masterclass, so often neglected by academic historians, in straddling that great juncture between popular and academic history.' Catholic Times

• 1. Introduction; 2. The local setting; 3. The emergence of a catholic dynasty: the Brownes of Cowdray; 4. The Brownes, catholicism and politics until the Ridolfi Plot; 5. The Brownes, catholicism and politics from the 1570s until the early 1590s; 6. The entourage of the first Viscount Montague; 7. The household at Battle Abbey and the Lady Magdalen's entourage; 8. The 1590s to the Gunpowder Plot; 9. Catholic politics and clerical culture after the accession of James Stuart; 10. The household and circle of the Second Viscount Montague. 11. 'Grand Captain' or 'Little Lord': the second Viscount Montague as Catholic leader; 12. The later Jacobean and early Caroline period; 13. The second Viscount Montague, his entourage and the approbation controversy; 14. Catholicism, clientage networks and the debates of the 1630s; 15. Epilogue: the Civil War and after.

Michael C. Questier is Senior Lecturer in History at Queen Mary, University of London. His previous publications include Conversion, Politics and Religion in England 1580–1625 (1996).

Review of the hardback: 'To put it simply, if you want to know the state of 'Catholic' history today, this is where you start … Questier liberally sprinkles his text with humour, ensuring it never becomes too stifling, always the danger with a proverbial doorstep of a book … he has successfully produced a masterclass, so often neglected by academic historians, in straddling that great juncture between popular and academic history.' Catholic Times

• 1. Introduction; 2. The local setting; 3. The emergence of a catholic dynasty: the Brownes of Cowdray; 4. The Brownes, catholicism and politics until the Ridolfi Plot; 5. The Brownes, catholicism and politics from the 1570s until the early 1590s; 6. The entourage of the first Viscount Montague; 7. The household at Battle Abbey and the Lady Magdalen's entourage; 8. The 1590s to the Gunpowder Plot; 9. Catholic politics and clerical culture after the accession of James Stuart; 10. The household and circle of the Second Viscount Montague. 11. 'Grand Captain' or 'Little Lord': the second Viscount Montague as Catholic leader; 12. The later Jacobean and early Caroline period; 13. The second Viscount Montague, his entourage and the approbation controversy; 14. Catholicism, clientage networks and the debates of the 1630s; 15. Epilogue: the Civil War and after.

Michael C. Questier is Senior Lecturer in History at Queen Mary, University of London. His previous publications include Conversion, Politics and Religion in England 1580–1625 (1996).

Review of the hardback: 'To put it simply, if you want to know the state of 'Catholic' history today, this is where you start … Questier liberally sprinkles his text with humour, ensuring it never becomes too stifling, always the danger with a proverbial doorstep of a book … he has successfully produced a masterclass, so often neglected by academic historians, in straddling that great juncture between popular and academic history.' Catholic Times

• 1. Introduction; 2. The local setting; 3. The emergence of a catholic dynasty: the Brownes of Cowdray; 4. The Brownes, catholicism and politics until the Ridolfi Plot; 5. The Brownes, catholicism and politics from the 1570s until the early 1590s; 6. The entourage of the first Viscount Montague; 7. The household at Battle Abbey and the Lady Magdalen's entourage; 8. The 1590s to the Gunpowder Plot; 9. Catholic politics and clerical culture after the accession of James Stuart; 10. The household and circle of the Second Viscount Montague. 11. 'Grand Captain' or 'Little Lord': the second Viscount Montague as Catholic leader; 12. The later Jacobean and early Caroline period; 13. The second Viscount Montague, his entourage and the approbation controversy; 14. Catholicism, clientage networks and the debates of the 1630s; 15. Epilogue: the Civil War and after.