By the mid-seventeenth century, the English public’s thirst for news and a dramatic growth in print culture made the media a powerful tool for shaping public opinion. Greenspan examines a selection of Cromwell’s conflicts, policies and imperial ventures to explore the ways in which the media was instrumental in developing, promoting and legitimizing government actions. Her study seeks to integrate print and political culture, revealing what the workings and content of the press can tell us about Cromwell’s regime and its policies.

"'offers many new and fascinating insights into how the press functioned under Cromwell and how public opinion throughout the 1650s was cleverly shaped and manipulated based on existing and long-standing prejudices and attitudes'"