This work investigates the origins, ideological development, and political evolution of the Tory party from the onset of the English Civil War through the death of Queen Anne. Keith G. Feiling, a distinguished historian of the British political tradition, utilizes extensive archival research and contemporary pamphlets to trace the emergence of Toryism as a distinct political identity. He argues that the party was not merely a reactionary force but a complex coalition shaped by the shifting pressures of the monarchy, the Church of England, and the landed gentry. The text provides a rigorous framework for understanding how these early political alignments laid the groundwork for the modern parliamentary system.

Historians and political scientists frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the early development of British party politics. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which demands a high level of familiarity with 17th-century British political history.