The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is often considered an 'aberration' where monarchy was reduced by the nobility to impotence, and which was consequently partitioned. However, historians' reappraisal of monarchy in early modern Europe calls for a reconsideration of the extent of Polish-Lithuanian 'divergence'. The essays of this collection assess the institution and idea of monarchy in one of Europe's largest and most neglected states. It will appeal to all those interested in early modern history.

'...accessible to the general reader...a rich and readable volume of scholarship...' - Robert E. Jones, International History Review