The English Civil War

by Maurice Percy Ashley

One of the most dramatic periods in English history was that of the civil wars fought throughout the country in the mid-17th century. The population was split down the middle. While many peers and gentry took the side of the King, others equally supported the leaders of Parliament, so families and friends were painfully divided in their loyalties. The final defeat, trial and execution of King Charles I shock the monarchies throughout Europe but left them deeply impressed by the victories of Oliver Cromwell and by his seizure of power as Lord Protector. The origins of the war and the course of the campaigns are here comprehensively described by the late Maurice Ashley, a leading authority on 17th-century England, who based his narrative on the latest academic research and on the analysis by military experts of such important battles as those of Marsten Moor and Naseby.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, English Civil War

202 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Maurice Percy Ashley, CBE, was a noted historian of the 17th Century and a former editor of The Listener.

Reviews

[AURORA RU]

Meklēju vienkāršas atbildes par tiem skotiem, kas atbēga uz Vidzemi un Pēterburgu... bet ieberzos tādos britu sūdos, daudzpakāpju, daudzdimensionāli reliģiski-politiski-aristokrātiskos... Britānijas vēsture ir traka*

Tā ka tas būtu stipri par daudz prasīts, lai šo grāmatu es patiešām izlasītu... bet grāmatā ir 166 ilustrācijas, 3 kartes un drusku dzejas arī priekš tādiem Rīgas trulo mucu dundukiem kā es.
Ja pēta tikai bildes un parakstus pie tiem, tad tā arī ir nodarbe uz ilgu laiku. Tur ir, protams, visādi skaistuļi (gargalvainie pret apaļgalvjiem), visādi diženi mākslas darbi no aristokrātu kolekcijām, visādi propogandas materiāli (jūras nodokļa nepieciešamības plakāti, reliģisko konfesiju kautiņu komiksi, reliģiskās alegorijas, jubilejas monētas utt.)

Nu, bet ko skoti? Skoti laikam bija rojālisti, tāpēc nācās bēgt pie mums.

A Parliamentarian view of the war:
"We have seen God marching so,
With our friends, against our foe,
As he did, long time ago,
When his Isr'el was oppressed;
And, securing us from fear,
When our hopes at lowest were;
When despis'd, we did appear,
And our peril most increased."

A Royalist view of the Parliamentarians:
"'Tis to preserve his Majesty,
That we against him fight,
Nor are we ever beaten back,
Because our cause is right;
'Tis for religion that we fight,
And for the kingdom's good,
By robbing churches, plandering them,
And shedding guiltless blood."

The athmosphere of the time was all against the Court:
"Choose no ship sheriff or court atheist
No fen drainer not church papist"

*Britānijas vēsture ir traka, man to vajadzēja saprast tik no angļu kokerspanielu radurakstiem vien. Mūsu ģimenē tika adoptēts Karolingu karaliskās dzimtas atzara pārstāvis, ar diženu raksturu, nepadevās dresūrai no latviešu zemnieku puses, mēģināja sacelties un izlauzties, tik tagad saprotu, cik drausmīgi prasta un pazemojoša bija viņa dzīve kopā ar mums, latviešiem.

[Bill38silver]

There are many books written about the English Civil war ( or , to some, the British War or three Wars). Few are less than 200 pages and fewer still are not as well illustrated as Ashley's easy to read slim volume. For a leading authority on the seventeenth century ( well, Ashley was in the 1970s and thereafter ) this is a fine account of one of the most turbulent and bloody periods in British history.

Ashley eschews the use of academic language to produce a narrative targeted at the popular reader. It succeeds, except where it lapses into a little too much detail on the battles of Marston Moor and Naseby. This is out of kilter with other critical parts of the story which are contained in a few paragraphs.

Overall this is a useful overview of a series of key events in British history. Helpful to those with limited or no knowledge of the subject, other more modern narratives are available.

[Andy Sheppard]

A good concise well illustrated history of the civil war

[William]

Maurice Ashley provides a short introduction to the English Civil War. A great book to gain a quick understanding of the main events. The study has plenty of illustrations.