By the Sword Divided Eyewitness Accounts

by John Adair

With first hand accounts from over fifty participants of the English Civil War, placed in context by the author's sympathetic text.

Genres: History

Hardcover

First published October 1, 1983

About the author

John Eric Adair is a British academic who is a leadership theorist and author of more than forty books (translated into eighteen languages) on business, military and other leadership.

Reviews

[Stanley Goldyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The English Civil War of 1642-5 traced its murky beginnings to 1629, when King Charles I dissolved Parliament and imprisoned its popular leaders in the Tower.

Continued deterioration between Monarch and Parliament burgeoned eventually to a head after 13 years of mutual distrust and suspicion, when Charles accused 6 members of the Lower House of treason.

This was tyranny in the eyes of Parliament.

So begins a 4-year war that splits the nation and divides families, aptly described by John Adair with the aid of the many letters, diary notes and pamphlets that have survived, to create a sad quilt of brutality, polarised loyalties and the eventual loss of a king’s head.

We read of the destruction of baronial estates, madness in the streets, widespread looting, and are introduced to its main actors – Prince Rupert, Lords Verney, Walker, Byron, Fairfax, Whitelocke, and a string of earls, plus the inimitable Oliver Cromwell,set in a cauldron bubbling with Catholic-Protestant tensions, and over-spiced with uncompromising Puritanism.

An illuminating resource, clear in its presentation between quoted material and Adair’s commentary, this volume offers a robust lens to mid-17th century England – warts and all.

For the non-historian, the 400-year old writing style of the transcripts can be cumbersome, but Adair’s laudable attempt to capture the unfolding machinations of a fractured country in conflict, is a commendable base to those whose interests lie in this period.

A heavy read; yet erudite and instructive, and ultimately worth it.

[Jean-Luc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published in 1983, By the sword divided is a captivating anthology of eyewitness accounts during the English Civil War and the devastating impact that bloody conflict had on the country and its people. A stark portrait of a nation consumed by civil strife through personal narratives from people standing on both sides of the war between 1642 and 1649, this engaging book based on primary sources remains to this day an indispensable tool for anyone trying to get a better understanding of that tumultuous and rollicking episode in English history. Highly recommended for all of you history buffs out there. Many thanks to Netgalley and Sapere Books for this wonderful ARC.

[Stevie Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very vivid account of how people felt about the events of the Civil War, told geographically and by framing events rather than strictly chronologically. As such, I'd have preferred more dates to have included the year as well as the month and the day, but that's a minor niggle. Richly illustrated too.

[Jesse Callaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as strong on primary source material as I had been hoping for but still a good book. The thematic nature of some chapters works well.