Civil War: The History of England Volume III (The History of England, 3)
£13.60£16.10 (-16%)
In Civil War, Peter Ackroyd continues his dazzling account of England’s history, beginning with the progress south of the Scottish king, James VI, who on the death of Elizabeth I became the first Stuart king of England, and ends with the deposition and flight into exile of his grandson, James II.
The Stuart dynasty brought together the two nations of England and Scotland into one realm, albeit a realm still marked by political divisions that echo to this day. More importantly, perhaps, the Stuart era was marked by the cruel depredations of civil war, and the killing of a king.
Ackroyd paints a vivid portrait of James I and his heirs. Shrewd and opinionated, the new King was eloquent on matters as diverse as theology, witchcraft and the abuses of tobacco, but his attitude to the English parliament sowed the seeds of the division that would split the country in the reign of his hapless heir, Charles I. Ackroyd offers a brilliant – warts and all – portrayal of Charles’s nemesis Oliver Cromwell, Parliament’s great military leader and England’s only dictator, who began his career as a political liberator but ended it as much of a despot as ‘that man of blood’, the king he executed.
England’s turbulent seventeenth century is vividly laid out before us, but so too is the cultural and social life of the period, notable for its extraordinarily rich literature, including Shakespeare’s late masterpieces, Jacobean tragedy, the poetry of John Donne and Milton and Thomas Hobbes’ great philosophical treatise, Leviathan. Civil War also gives us a very real sense of the lives of ordinary English men and women, lived out against a backdrop of constant disruption and uncertainty.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Main Market edition (7 May 2015), Pan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 512 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1447271696 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1447271697 |
| Reading age | 18 years and up |
| Dimensions | 13.3 x 3.4 x 19.7 cm |
by hilly
as usual Ackroyd combines erudition with entertaining writing but what a shame that the Pan publisher is such a cheapskate! Half the illustrations are missing! Add to that the black and white illustrations that are badly reproduced on the ecofriendly paper (I applaud the use of this paper but it doesn’t have to be such low quality) and the production of the books don’t do justice to Ackroyd’s writing
by Len & Carol
Could not give 5 stars as pages 407 to 454 were missing. Very frustrating about missing pages. How do I get a complete copy?
by Gazza
A wonderful History of England retold beautifully by Peter Ackroyd.
I hope you find my review helpful.
by Luke Dennison
I came to this, not having read the previous books or losing much about the civil war or the reign of the Stuart’s and overall I found this to be informative, interesting and maybe most of interest was just how little has changed! This moment in history is really interesting with so many themes that are still relevant today whether it be homosexuality, power, self serving decisions, sleight of hand politics, power of religion etc, etc. Ackroyd in the main plus together the information very well and is clear in his prose. My one minor criticism would be the chapters where he used what was going on in theatre and the arts as a yardstick to how the public felt at that time. In theory this was a great idea but I’m practice I found it didn’t work for me and felt out of place with the rest of the narrative. overall though this was a worthy read.
by Dogbite Dave
I write this review based on my decades of experiences as an avid reader of all types of literature especially historical both fact and fiction.
This book is written as a factual account of the history of English royalty from the death of Elizabeth.
In terms of today, James was a dispicable man, a sodomite, ignorant, full of all manner of self aggrandising activity.
But that is the manner of of the way of life in that day and age.
Constant friction with parliament and his need for more money.
Religion was just as contentious and decisive then as it is today.
James, was succeeded by his surviving son Charles who in turn had even more friction with parliament. Religion more decisive and in due course the civil war with both king and parliament wanting to be top dog.
And so the book goes on. Detail about jealousy, corruption and daily life. Titles for cash.
There is some very interesting content about the day to day, week to week etc progression to war and genocide.
There is also a fair degree of boring, to the my mind, bits and pieces written in the manner of the 1600’s making it somewhat unreadable.
Overall, A decent read, spoilt at times with too much prevarication.
by markr
This book is the third volume of a six part series relating the History Of England. Peter Ackroyd is a superb writer. Amongst his work perhaps the best known books are the histories of London and of the Thames. This series, the History of England, is every bit as good if not better.
This volume, which could certainly be read as a stand alone history, covers the years of the Stuart kings; James VII and I, Charles 1 and Charles II, and James VII and II. The book covers the union of the crowns of Scotland and England, the gunpowder plot, the thirty years war, civil war, the execution of a king, the republic under Cromwell, the restoration of monarchy under Charles II and finally the reign and exile of the last Stuart king to occupy the throne, James VII and II.
Running as themes all throughout these years were the kings’ need for money, and the way in which parliament used that need to seek to enforce its will, often in matters of foreign policy and in matters of religion ( often intertwined). This tension created wars, revolutions, economic harm, and terrible slaughter.
All of this gives plenty to read, to enjoy and to learn, and alongside this we have the creation of the Royal Society, and the work of Newton, Hooke, Pepys and Shakespeare in these years and pages.
it would be hard to make all of that slow-going, and the author has certainly created a work that is at once informative and entertaining. It is a long book at almost 500 pages of narrative, but I was rather sorry when I finished it. I am now looking forward to reading volume IV
by EleanorB
This is another first class piece of work and covers our island’s history from accession of James the First to the coming of William of Orange to take over the throne vacated when James the Second fled into exile. The Jacobean period, the execution of Charles the First, the Civil War and Cromwell’s Protectorate, the restoration of the Stuart monarchy under Charles the Second and all points in between are investigated. Ackroyd’s usual meticulous research brings the events, the participants, the ongoing religious tensions and the fluctuating role of Parliament in the governance of the realm into sharp focus.
This is history as it should be told, with our all too human failings, mistakes, lusts, hunger for power, greed and thirst for revenge writ large. The huge personalities of the time are all given sufficient care and attention to help us understand not just how things happened, but why and what role the constant fault lines between Catholic and Protestant worship played in these great games of power and politics. The violence and tragedy of civil war is not glossed over, nor is the retribution meted out by Charles the Second to his father’s regicides.
Ackroyd is particularly skilled at putting events into context historically whilst providing biographical details which add lustre to the vivid and diverse cast of characters who shaped this period of our long, complex history.
I await the next volume with considerable interest and have no hesitation in heartily recommending this superb book. There is no shortage of illustrations which are all well chosen and eye catching.