Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford (1593-1641) is one of the great controversial figures of English history. For many he was 'the Great Apostate' who abandoned the cause of liberty in the 1620s. For others he was a herioc figure who died on the scaffold as the King's good servant. In making a judgement about Strafford, his years of power, as Lord Deputy of Ireland (1633-40), are or crucial importance. Professor Kearney's definitive account, first published in 1959 provides essential reading for those studying the origins of the Civil Wars.