This War Without an Enemy: A History of the English Civil Wars

by Richard Ollard

The English civil wars have never ceased to fascinate both the historian and the common reader. Was the struggle in essence over religion, over law, over politics, or over constitutional development? And were its causes primarily social and economic, or are they to be found in the conflict of principles or the clash of personalities?

Between the autumn of 1640, when the Long Parliament met, and the spring of 1660, when Charles II was restored, the King's Chief Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury were beheaded, the country divided and ravaged by two civil wars, the King himself tried and executed, the House of Lords was abolished, and the Commons themselves, in spite of all that purging and packing could do, were turned out to make room for a military dictatorship.

Richard Ollard's book takes a fresh view of the unparalleled series of events that led up to Cromwell's astonishing period of ascendancy at home and abroad. He describes what life was like during the war and how the impact of these national shocks was felt in family and neighborhood, in social and professional life.

The portrayal of individuals is given prominence, for, whatever it may or may not have been, the civil war was not faceless. It took place in the great age of English portrait painting and was followed by the flowering of English biography and memoirs, including Clarendon's History of the Great Rebellion, that matchless gallery of likenesses taken from the life.

Genres: History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1976

About the author

Richard Laurence Ollard was an English historian and biographer. He is best known for his work on the English Restoration period. He was educated at Eton College where he was a King's Scholar. He joined the Navy during the Second World War and won an exhibition to New College, Oxford at its conclusion. For twelve years from 1948 to 1959 Ollard taught history at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in London. In 1960 he joined the publisher Collins as a senior editor, where he worked until his retirement in 1983. After his retirement from Collins he continued to research and publish widely and lived in Morecombelake, Dorset.

Interests and achievements:

- In 1992 he was awarded the Caird Medal by the Trustees of the National Maritime Museum.
- In 1997 he was joint winner of the Heywood Hill Prize for a lifetime's contribution to the pleasure of reading.
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL)
- Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA)
- Past Vice President of the Navy Records Society
- An honorary member of the Samuel Pepys Club

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought of myself as a history major during the last three years of high school and throughout most of college. The emphasis in those days, repeated by every teacher except in some very specialized courses, was on revolutions, most particularly the American, the French and the Russian. Glaringly absent was any serious treatment of the English civil war and revolution which had such an influence on the American colonies. In order to rectify my relative ignorance of these seventeenth century events I read this general popular survey.

[Renay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Spectre · Rating 2 out of 5]

With little knowledge of this turbulent period of English history (1640-1660) I had hoped to find a book of a general introduction describing individuals, battles, strategies, etc. I hate to admit that upon completion of this book, I am not anymore enlightened. It is a difficult task to put twenty years of complex history into a 217 page book (with great illustrations). This is a better book for someone more familiar with English history.

[Timothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Difficult writing style for me to grasp, and it assumes a familiarity of the subject matter. So as a primer on the subject of the English Civil Wars, I can't recommend it.

[Gilbert Wesley Purdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very solid overview. Many illustrations, mostly b&w but a number of color as well.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr D gets 4 mentions! Very useful too.