Dr Cannon studies the workings of the eighteenth-century constitution, concentrating on the years of acute crisis from 1782 to 1784. He examines the formation of the Fox-North coalition, its achievement of office in March 1783, and the manoeuvres by which it was eventually ousted. In doing so he throws light on several obscure questions, such as the reasons for Shelburne's unpopularity, the part played by William Pitt over the India Bill (based on hitherto unused manuscripts in the Bodleian Library), and the causes of Lord Temple's resignation in December 1783. Dr Cannon shows that these were critical years in the evolution of political parties, and contributes evidence towards an assessment of the careers of Lord North, Charles Fox and William Pitt.