Focusing on the historical context in which political theorists have developed their thinking, this textbook provides an invaluable introduction to students of political thought. The authors address a series of canonical major thinkers in the context of three world-changing epochs - the English, French and Industrial revolutions. The theorists' ideas are assessed with reference to the politics of their time and show how they responded to, or interacted with, the political events and issues of their day. Key political thinkers include: Milton Hobbes The Levellers and Diggers Locke Montesquieu Jean Jacques Rousseau Edmund Burke John Stuart Mill Karl Marx Mikhail Bakunin With key concepts, further reading and revision notes in each chapter, this student-friendly text is ideal for students who come to political theory having little existing knowledge of cultural and historical developments.