A belief in hereditary monarchy is, for the majority of the population in this country, something which is not questioned. A reading of history will, however, make us understand how the later Stuarts believed they had been cheated out of their inheritance. The fact that they were prepared to resort to armed rebellion in an attempt to regain what they believed was rightfully theirs is not difficult to appreciate. Supporters of their cause, the Jacobites, fell into two main camps, either those committed zealots who were prepared to risk all for the cause or the fireside club-goers who preferred to raise their richly engraved wine glasses to toast the "King over the warer" rather than raise their swords. It is these same drinking glasses, with their stories to tell of those turbulent times, which are the real subject of this fascinating and important book. Much has already been written about Jacobite history and the principal characters involved. A book which examines and records the history of the glassware is, however, long overdue. The Jacobites and their Drinking Glasses is, at last, such a book. As well as providing the reader with a clear outline of the historical background, the author discusses the secret Jacobite societies and the drinking glasses they used, allied to the whole subject of British glass in the eighteenth century. This work is destined to become the standard reference on this subject.