Colonel Blood: The Man Who Stole the Crown Jewels

by David C. Hanrahan

Thomas Blood (1618–1680) was a celebrity in his own lifetime, even though this celebrity was based on infamy. A turncoat, spy, and double agent, Blood is most notorious for being the only person to successfully steal Britain’s crown jewels. This intriguing study not only explores the rich seam of villainy inherent in Blood's rambling career, but also depicts in detail the effects of the English Civil War and the means by which the crown maintained power in the difficult early years of Charles II's reign by exploiting a prototypical intelligence network. From all of this Blood emerges as a complex, perhaps even a tortured figure. Was he simply a daredevil, or something altogether more driven, compelled to confront authority at every turn and live by his own standards, a permanent rebel and outsider?

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Peter Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always wanted to find out a bit more about this chap. This excellent short book gives a real insight into who he was and not only his motivations but also those of the key figures around him – including a convincing argument on just why Charles let him off with attempting to steal those jewels….

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I just built it up after wanting to read this for so long, and being so interested in the subject matter, but it was just “okay”. Eh.

[Old-Barbarossa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good info on the times as well as the man.
Covers many of the big names of the period.
No maps. Good index and bibliography.
However there seems to be too many sentences ended with an exclamation mark!
Which I found a bit annoying.
Otherwise good stuff.

[andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting life story