This study investigates the administrative structure, operational methods, and political efficacy of the English central government during the reign of King Charles II. G. E. Aylmer, a noted historian of the seventeenth-century civil service, utilizes extensive archival research to map the transition of bureaucratic power following the Restoration. The work argues that the period was defined by a complex interplay between royal prerogative and the emerging necessity for a structured, professionalized civil service. By analyzing specific departmental functions and policy outcomes, the author provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the evolution of the English state.

Historians and scholars of the Stuart period frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the mechanics of Restoration government. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous and detailed examination of administrative history.