The English Civil War: A People's History - Softcover

Purkiss, Diane

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007150628 ISBN 13: 9780007150625

Publisher: Perennial, 2007

Synopsis

This popular history of the English Civil War tells the story of the bloody conflict between Oliver Cromwell and Charles I from the perspectives of those involved.

The compelling narrative draws on new sources such as letters, memoirs, ballads and plays to bring to life the Roundheads and Cavaliers, the foot soldiers, war widows and witchfinders of one of the most significant turning points in British history, culminating in Oliver Cromwell s triumph and the execution of Charles I.

By blending the political and the personal, Diane Purkiss illuminates both the ideologies behind the English Civil War and the fears of those who fought in it; the men who were destroyed by the conflict and those, such as Oliver Cromwell, who were defined by it.

About this title

Review:

‘Rich, vivid and passionate...a moving, lyrical and principled piece of writing...Purkiss has a gift for evocation.’ Independent

‘You begin to get close to what it would have been like to live through the nine momentous years from 1640 to 1649...it would be hard to imagine anything more irresistible than this rich layer cake of a book, crammed with the stories and the voices that make history human.’ Guardian

‘Purkiss has an eye for the narrative vignette that can illuminate the age.’ Sunday Times

‘Wonderful...Purkiss offers a sumptuous portrait gallery of the men and women who lived, wrote and died during this turbulent period...A joyous read.’ Daily Telegraph

‘Narrative history at its best: gripping, heartfelt, complex.’ Mail on Sunday

‘This book vigorously brings the horror and humanity of the conflict to life.’ Financial Times

‘Light in touch, though grounded in an enormous wealth of documentary material this “people's history” shows how England’s men and women coped with quite extraordinary times.’ Scotsman

Synopsis:

This is a remarkable popular history of the English Civil War, from the perspectives of those involved in this most significant turning point in British history. This compelling history, culminating in the execution of Charles I, brings to life the people who fought in it, died in it, and in doing so changed the history of the world forever. In an excitingly fresh approach to the period, Diane Purkiss tells the story of this critical era not just in terms of the battle of ideas, but as the histories of the people who conceived them. "The English Civil War" builds a gripping narrative of the individuals involved and their motives, from those whose reputations were made on the back of this violent and brutal war, such as Oliver Cromwell and Lady Eleanor Davies, to witchfinders and revolutionaries; and ultimately, the ordinary men who fought and the women who lived with tragedy, finding their political voice for the first time. The consequences of ten years of bloody revolution were to stretch from the cities to the villages to the grand houses, form Ulster to East Anglia to the outer reaches of Cornwall.

The tales uncovered by Diane Purkiss paint a picture of a world turned upside down, where madness and prophesy play their part, and where normal life and times are suspended. This important book uncovers forgotten lives and illustrates incisively the critical contribution of this extraordinary period in English history to contemporary politics and society.

About this edition

• Publisher: Perennial
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0007150628
• ISBN 13: 9780007150625
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 674