Iain Hampsher-Monk?s lucid and accessible history of modernpolitical thought is the introduction which many have been waitingfor, providing a thorough guide to the ideas and writings of majorpolitical thinkers from Hobbes to Marx (including a full account ofThe Federalist papers). The author?s aim throughout is to incorporate the benefitsof modern scholarship of the historical school, with its emphasison historical and political circumstances as a key to meaning.Recognizing that for most students time will not allow detailedstudy of the historical and political contexts of particular works,Hampsher-Monk provides here the background necessary for the readerto situate the writings of key thinkers in relation to widercurrents in intellectual and political history. A History of Modern Political Thought will meet the needsof both general readers and students of political theory andphilosophy. It is an indispensable secondary source which aims tosituate, explain, and provoke thought about the major works ofpolitical theory likely to be encountered by students of modernpolitical thought.