Welsh Journals

in a British, even European, context. Possibly, valuable space is too generously accorded the Europe of Louis XIV and Louis XV but the principle is admirable because the student is provided with valuable points of reference to his other history courses. The problem resulting from this widening of horizons is that important themes have often to be summarised in a few generalisations. Far better this than an over-long book; but, not surprisingly, some of the resulting judgements are debateable. The transition from the medieval to the modern world (p. 5) is uncomfortably brisk; the statement that 'the use of laymen or "amateurs" in local government is one of the great successes of the Tudors' (p. 51) requires qualification, both in terms of what had gone before and of the considerable problems to which it gave rise. Few would accept a picture of early-seventeenth-century England 'crippled by the growing struggle between the stupid Stuart kings and a truculent parliament' (p. 76). What is remarkable, however, is that so often complex problems are succinctly summed up in language ideally suited to the intelligent '0' level pupil, always clear, never patronising. Emphasis on the value of source material has been a vital element in the new approaches to school history; and it is regrettable that apart from the invaluable Llygad y Ffynnon series, Welsh schools have had relatively little to work with. Mr. Fraser concludes each chapter with short docu- mentary extracts sufficiently fascinating and informative to whet the appetite for more. Considerable thought has gone into the exercises, set aside in a separate section. The author promises to tap a variety of talents involving imagin- ative description, map and chart making, drama, debate and illustration. It would be a step forward if the stolid orthodoxies of '0' level classes were to be enlivened by such enterprises, even if some of the playwriting tasks are too ambitious. Vital to many of the suggested activities are the list of secondary sources and the comprehensive index. The Adventurers is worthy of the status it will achieve as a standard text for the fifteen-plus age-group in Welsh schools. Teachers and students will be grateful for the high standards of publisher as well as author. Perhaps an occasional map carries too much information but layout of print and black and white illustration is generally immaculate; and, very important, the book will withstand a reasonable number of the years of wear and tear it will surely get. GARETH E. JONES Swansea THE ENGLISH PUBLIC REVENUE, 1660-1688. By C. D. Chandaman. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1975. Pp. xii, 386. £ 16.50. Professor Chandaman's important study is based on a dissertation com- pleted in 1954, the main conclusions of which, thanks to the generosity of the author, are already widely known to seventeenth-century specialists. This material has now been revised and rearranged for publication with great skill. The invaluable but technical discussion of exchequer methods