Counsel and Command in Early Modern English Thought.

"Counsel and Command in Early Modern English Thought" by Joanne Paul explores the intersection of political thought and political history in early modern England. The book examines the paradox of political counsel and the varying sources of authority that counsellors relied on. It also discusses the challenges faced by historians in studying political counsel, such as the lack of written records. The author suggests that there is something distinctively English about the focus on counsel and explores the impact of the English Reformation on this topic. The book concludes with an analysis of Thomas Hobbes and his rejection of counsel in favor of absolute sovereign authority. While the book focuses more on political thought than political history, it encourages scholars to further explore the relationship between theory and practice in politics. [Extracted from the article]