THE ENGLISH CIVIL WARS by Blair Worden, Phoenix, £8.99.
THE political upheaval of he mid-17th century had no parallel in English history.
Other major events have changed the occupancy and the powers of the throne, but the conflict of 1640 to 1660 was more dramatic. The monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished to be replaced by a republic and military rule.
In this accessible account the author explores the events of this period and their origins – the war between King and Parliament, the execution of Charles I, Cromwell’s rule and the Restoration – while aiming to reveal the motivations of contemporaries on both sides and the concerns of later generations.
CHRIS BURGESS
