This volume investigates the evolution of literary culture in Britain between 1645 and 1714, a period defined by political upheaval and the emergence of modern media structures. Margaret J. M. Ezell, a scholar of early modern literature, utilizes a framework that integrates social history with textual analysis to examine how the Interregnum, the Restoration, and the subsequent political shifts influenced authorship, publishing, and performance. The text argues that this era was not merely a transition but a period of radical innovation in how texts were produced, circulated, and consumed.

Scholars and students of seventeenth-century literature frequently cite this volume for its comprehensive integration of social history and literary analysis. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for advanced researchers and university-level study.