Most pertinently of all, the impressive military machine James II and VII had built up was brought low by an invasion assisted by a nationwide rebellion in England in 1688.

Oh huh, this is interesting to me -- I hadn't got the impression that James II was all that good at military stuff from The King's Touch (luzula, this is a novel I'm currently reading on selenak's recommendation about Charles II/James Duke of Monmouth, with James II as an important minor character, probably becoming more major later on but I haven't gotten there yet) but I guess I wouldn't know from what I've read so far, as he's not king yet :)

But anyway, that's fascinating, thank you!