Women All on Fire: The Women of the English Civil War

by Alison Plowden

From Queen Henrietta Maria to the Oyster wenches of parliamentary London, the author examines how the English Civil War of the mid 1600s affected the lives of women of all classes and how they coped with unfamiliar and frightening responsibilities, loss and bereavement, divided families, exile, and financial ruin. While short on analysis, the volume is rich in the sheer number of stories of courageous women and their actions during the conflict. Distributed by Books International. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Womens

218 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched, fascinating glimpses into impact of the civil war on the 'upper and middling' women of England.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true to life book containing the experiences of a select number of women during the Seventeenth-Century English Civil War is thoroughly researched and imaginatively retold. As a Historian approaching my dissertation the said subject, it seemed only fitting to add a piece of my project into the challenge, it also meant completing a little research as well. This is most likely why this book took me so long to read, it cannot be taken as just another story, it is a gritty account of the lives of women during the Civil War between King and Parliament.
Upon reading this book, I really enjoyed that pull back into history which you don't always receive with History books, it was an immensely informative and interesting read of a time when chivalry still existed and women began to get a taste of liberty and power alongside men.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't quite what I hoped it would be, but it still was pretty interesting. I wanted an account of more everyday women and how the English Civil War affected them. Instead, it focused mostly on well-born women who left written records of their activities. Their accounts can be found in other books on the time period for the most part (i.e. Antonia Fraser's The Weaker Vessel), but there were a couple of stories I hadn't heard and enjoyed reading. The book is somewhat chronological, but it jumps around a bit in time, place, and the person it's focused on.

[Gill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished it! At last! The fact that it took me 13 months to get through, with a period of maybe 8 months where it lay untouched, may be a clue that this is not a riveting read.

There's obviously a lot of research gone into this book but sadly it can be a little dry. The narrative thread was lacking, as was any sense of context. I didn't feel the general position of women in society was adequately covered and certainly there was little indication of how class affected one's role.