Author:Tristram Hunt
Almost a quarter of a million lives were lost as King and Parliament battled for their religious and political ideals in the English Civil War. England was divided between Cavaliers and Roundheads engaged in bitter struggles from Preston to Lostwithiel, Pembroke to York. Armies were on the march, villages were decimated and great dynasties destroyed: fathers and sons, uncles and cousins were pitted against each other in defence of their loyalties. The civil war led to the execution of a king, the beginnings of sectarian division in Ireland, savage clan warfare in Scotland and the roots of English socialism.
Tristram Hunt avoids adding to the many, mostly transitory interpretations of the civil war and instead offers a timeless narrative based on the first-hand accounts of those who witnessed these traumatic events. In doing so he brings out the voices of the civil war generation - those who lost sons, who witnessed massacres and who fought for an ideal. In this book we see their motivations, fears and misery as the horror of war overwhelmed them. From Cromwell's letters to the memoirs of a Roundhead wife the civil war era is brought to life in all its terrible and fascinating glory.
Holland is excellent on telling detail... This is a notable account of an epic human experience, told with the informality and enthusiasm that distinguish Holland's work... If the story is familiar, Holland tells it with authority and exuberant panache
—— Max Hastings , The Sunday TimesHolland is one of a new generation of historians who were born long after the war but who bring to the subject a freshness and proper spirit of enquiry. A great achievement
—— John Sergeant , Sunday ExpressExcellent on all the technicalities of the conflict... full of lively pen portraits and unusual insights
—— SpectatorStuffed with personal accounts that drive the narrative along at a cracking pace
—— Patrick Bishop , Mail on SundayAmbitious and comprehensive... the pace never flags as the narrative ranges effortlessly from the cockpit of the Spitfire to the gallery of the House of Commons
—— Saul David , Daily TelegraphComprehensive and readable
—— The EconomistHolland is superb at switching the focus of the action while maintaining the pace and drama of the story
—— SpectatorA definitive record... The fact we won is remarkable, and Holland brings the events vividly to life *****
—— News of the WorldA full and fascinating account... Edge-of-the-seat exciting
—— SagaHolland is a narrative historian par excellence who believes that people should eb at the heart of any story and brings the characters of the age to life... [an] excellent, highly-readable volume
—— Navy NewsFull of lively accounts of aerial contests and well-observed details
—— BBC History MagazineHistory told with panache and an excellent grasp of the technical details
—— The Sunday TimesHolland's narrative is impressively comprehensive and is a superb introduction to one of the great turning points of the last war. More importantly it is stirring, occasionally even exhilarating, as any history of this period is obliged to be
—— Literary ReviewA fitting, and beautifully illustrated, tribute to the Few, while not forgetting the unsung heroes of Bomber Command
—— Times Educational SupplementThere have been many books about the Battle of Britain but few as exhaustive - and readable - as this scholarly account
—— Choice MagazineFacts and figures say a great deal, but the most compelling accounts come from those who featured in the battle. Like any good author, Holland allows the participants to tell the story in their own words
—— The Good Book Guide
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