God's Englishman
Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution
Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution
A nuanced biography of Oliver Cromwell, breaking down Cromwell's life into different parts: fenland farmer and humble backbencher; stalwart of the good old cause and the New Model Army; key figure of the Commonwealth; and finally Lord Protector. Hill leads the reader unsentimentally through Cromwell's life from his beginnings in Huntingdonshire to his brutal end. Hill brings all his considerable knowledge of the period to bear on the relationships God's Englishman had with God and England. Such a detailed understanding of the workings of providence is vital to understanding Cromwell.
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Interesting but not to my taste. Christopher Hill no doubt forgot more in his life time about Cromwell than I would have read but the class struggles of recent times for me were not the same as those of the Civil wars of Great Britain and Ireland. For mine the struggle was religious. Class had less impact. I also found that this book read as several essays pieced together as opposed to a narrative. I am in the minority in this view and would never suggest that others with an interest in Cromwell not read this book. Just I feel that later books, see Gods Fury, do a lot better.
