The Siege of Loyalty House: A new history of the English Civil War

by Jessie Childs

**A TIMES, GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH, SPECTATOR, THE CRITIC, MAIL ON SUNDAY, ECONOMIST AND PROSPECT BOOK OF THE YEAR**

'A gifted narrative historian, eloquent, graceful and witty; the stories she tells are the ones we all should know' Hilary Mantel

It was a time of climate change and colonialism, puritans and populism, witch hunts and war . . .

This is the story of a home that became a warzone. Basing House in Hampshire saw one of the longest and bloodiest sieges of the English Civil War. Defended for over two years by artists and aristocrats, actors and apothecaries, women and children, it became a symbol of royalist defiance and a microcosm of the wider conflict.

Drawing on unpublished manuscripts and the voices of dozens of soldiers and civilians, award-winning historian Jessie Childs weaves a thrilling tale of war and peace, terror and faith, savagery and civilization.

__________

'Extraordinary, thrilling, immersive ... at times almost Tolstoyan in its emotional intelligence and literary power' Simon Schama

'Compellingly readable... [a] beautifully written and lucid account' Mail on Sunday

'Brilliant. Original. Gripping.' Antonia Fraser

'Beautifully written and gripping from first page to last. A sparkling book by one of the UK's finest historians' Peter Frankopan

'The Siege of Loyalty House is not only deeply researched. Childs has composed a wonderfully poetic narrative and adds a touch of the gothic' The Times

'Successfully brings the ghastliness of the period to life, dramatically, vividly and with pathos' Charles Spencer, Spectator

Genres: History, Nonfiction, English Civil War, Historical, Civil War, War, Politics

312 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2022

About the author

Jessie Childs is an award-winning historian, broadcaster and the author of God's Traitors (PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History), Henry VIII's Last Victim (Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography) and, most recently, The Siege of Loyalty House, which tells the story of the heroic resistance of a royalist mansion in the English Civil War. Simon Schama has called it ‘extraordinary, thrilling, immersive… at times almost Tolstoyan in its emotional intelligence and literary power’.

Jessie has written and reviewed for many papers, including the Sunday Times, Guardian and London Review of Books. TV contributions include the BAFTA-nominated Elizabeth I's Secret Agents (BBC 2 & PBS) and two BBC series on Charles I.

She lives with her husband, two daughters and a cairn terrier in Hammersmith, not far from a brewery, a distillery and the River Thames.

Reviews

[Geevee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Paulet family had built and owned Basing House, near Basingstoke since 1535. The site was already well-known locally as it had first been a mote and bailey in Norman times, and then evolved to a stone castle shortly after in the 1100s. The house built by the Paulet's in the sixteenth century was considerable in size and scale, and hosted royalty - Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Philip II of Spain & Queen Mary I who honeymooned there - and many other significant families and guests.

In Norman times it was an important site as it was close to the river Loddon and the road to London, and under the fifth Marquess of Winchester, John Paulet, who was a Royalist (a supporter of King Charles I) Basing House remained a key site that was attacked many times and periodically under heavy siege three times by Parliamentarian troops aka Roundheads. The Paulet family motto was Aymez Loyaulte (Love Loyalty) and hence Basing House was carried the romantic and stirring name, Loyalty House.

Jessie Childs's story of the siege is a deeply researched book that follows the wider events of the civil war, and the specific events at Loyalty House by focussing in on a number of key characters who were present using a vast array of contemporary sources.

This approach means Ms Childs is able to give detail on the pre-war lives and occupations of those on both sides and how they came to be with the Royalists or Parliamentarians and at Basing House. This provides a good understanding of why people were at Basing House, how they prepared to defend or inflict the siege and what became of them throughout. Those besieged were not just men as there were women and children present too. Likewise, for the attackers there were the usual myriad of camp followers. In both cases, and especially for the defenders, they offered useful service but also complicated matters in being further mouths to feed and watch over.

As the first period of the siege gets underway, Ms Childs, ably describes the events. This is very interesting as she can tell the reader of how the attacks were carried out, including the use of trenches and revetments, mortars (grenadoes), cannon and even a very early form of chemical warfare using arsenic.

The difficulties of those within Basing House are well-described. These include the impact and damage done by the bombardments and of the hard times brought by a shortage of food, sleep and comfort as well as the challenges of nursing wounded and how illness and disease take its toll. There are also efforts at resupply and relief and these, using the records and sources give a further view into the wider war around Basingstoke and Oxford.

The end finally comes with Oliver Cromwell entering the stage. The immediate aftermath for the besieged is bleak, and again this is described in detail with explanations for what happened and why given and how they related to conduct and behaviours for the time. Ms Childs does throughout the book use the news-sheet writers and their comments/reports and verses to show how the siege and key characters is seen in London (much of it uncorroborated and blunt propaganda for the side they support), but this adds insight and interest.

This said, I thought the Epilogue a little disappointing. Whilst we learn of the main surviving characters' fate and in some cases later lives, I felt the opportunity to discuss the siege and the tactics used in a wider strategic context was missed.

However, this is a very readable and informative book, and one I would recommend to those who have a interest in the Stuart period, the English Civil War, or indeed how ordinary citizens became foes with bitter and bloody outcomes.

My copy was the 2023 Vintage paperback with 4 line drawn maps and 8 black and white illustrations. There are a further 44 colour and black and white photos within two sections of glossy plates.

[Darryl Tomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic achievement - brings the history of this neglected period of time alive like no other. Childs skilfully tells the story of the Civil War through the lens of the siege of Basing House, and the people caught up in the siege. It's so skilfully and effectively done, and so illuminating, that I forgot I was reading about the 17th century at points as the descriptions of suffering in war etc are so universal.
Loved it, one of the best history books I've read for a long time.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The siege of Basing House in Basingstoke was a microcosm of the English civil war. The author shows us characters on both sides , an assortment of soldiers, aristocrats, traders , actors and all kinds of people. Through them we see the nuanced views of many - not all those loyal to the office of the king had high regard for Charles or the Stuarts. Henry Rawdon for instance was an importer of wine from many countries and couldn’t afford to be sectarian. Though he fought for the king, he felt the reign of Archbishop Laud under Charles was just as harsh as Puritan excesses. In John Venn his former colleague , opposed to episcopacy and also alienated by the Kings refusal to hold a parliament, we see his opposite number . Likewise , some Roundheads questioned the savagery sometimes displayed.


For those supporting Parliament, we do see how the kings ship money tax affected traders badly. We also see Charles rejecting what are reasonable peace terms in the name of absolute monarchy. As the house crumbles It’s an engrossing portrait of the horrors of siege warfare even then. And marshalling the resistance to Cromwell’s forces , it’s a female aristocrat , lady Honora Paulet, who shines in the masculine world of war.

Estimates of Cromwell’s brutality go and up down - since Antonia Frasers biography of him, views have been more nuanced in terms of reaction to a royalist regime not marked by tolerance , and some genuine desire on Cromwell’s part for some tolerance in peacetime, as well as ending of some needless wars ( despite the massacres which even in an age of harsh militaristic solutions can’t be exonerated, though they have been exaggerated ). But war is war , though when the end comes more are taken alive than slaughtered. In the end, he beat the king because he was simply a better strategist, and his glorying in victory is understandable but jarring nowadays.

This book is well researched and written and good for giving us views on the ground as the king and parliament slugged it out. I suspect a lot of us would probably side with Rawdon - whatever our views on royalty or any established authority , it’s a big thing to go to war with it and you have to know your convictions, especially when what you’re being offered is a clash between two less than tolerant regimes . Proportionately the civil war would take more English lives than World War One .

[Suzanne McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely magnificent - a powerful story, splendidly researched and superbly told. Through her deft portraits of a handful of key people we are drawn into their lives before they are thrown into the maelstrom of life at Basing, which makes the accounts of the sieges all the more moving. (My personal favorite is Thomas Johnson, the London apothecary and herbalist, as we see him with his family and plying his trade, and follow him from his delight in plant-hunting forays to his courage as an officer at Basing, to his much-lamented death). And then, for those who survive, we briefly follow their lives through the aftermath of the Civil Wars into 1650s and the Restoration. Childs is incredibly sure-footed in the historical big picture and the details, so that as well as this being the story of those caught up in Basing House during the First Civil War, it also becomes a terrific - and wonderfully readable - overview of almost the whole 17th C.

[Brian Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a stretch to call this book - as Simon Schama does in a cover blurb - "almost Tolstoyan" (the "almost" doing a lot of lifting there), as the sources don't permit any sustained access into the internal lives of the protagonists. It is interesting, though, in its approach to the much-studied English Civil War. If the actual siege of the title is presented as little more than a series of set-pieces, Childs' broader agenda - reaching back to a pre-War London neighbourhood, where some later sworn enemies lived together in peace - does show decisively how great matters of State can take their toll at the local and family level.

[Stephen Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had high expectations from the reviews and the blurb, and although I can't fault the detail, and I liked the premise, I found myself getting bored quite often, which surprised me, considering the new relevance of the material, and the balanced way in which I felt the whole thing was presented. I certainly learned a lot, but just felt something was lacking.

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story telling which drew me in. At first I was daunted by the many names and the unfamiliarity of this period of history. Gradually the author builds the story and the characters come alive. By the end I was looking forward to learning more about the civil war and the years that followed.

[Abigail Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The earlier chapters were comparatively slow, but wow, the later ones rushed by with the speed of a novel. I admit I couldn't keep track of all the people whose lives intersected at the long-running siege of Basing ("Loyalty") House, but also I really didn't care because I just enjoyed being along for the ride. The quality of the prose is A+ -- Childs clearly has an eye (or an ear) for connections and puns that are clever, not silly. My personal favorite came when she described how the almsfolk who lived at a hospital near Winchester had their possessions taken from them by repeated Royalist requisitions:

"They didn't complain at the time, but the following March they were forced to petition [Ralph Hopton] after royalists had broken in and taken all their seed barley and every bit of wood -- the gates, doors, wainscot, tables, cupboards, even the pews and communion table in their chapel. 'Your poor petitioners," they wrote, 'being very aged and impotent persons', are 'thereby made destitute of the means of having either temporal or spiritual food.' Hopton signed a protection order, but by then there wasn't even a stable door left to close." (p. 124)

Ugh, it's just so good. There's also, somewhere, a sentence about the soldiers called "lobsters" scuttling away from the battle, which was likewise excellent.

In terms of content, SIEGE took me pleasantly by surprise. The book has the appearance of a popular history, and so I was not expecting either such a depth of research or such an evenhanded approach to the controversial aspects of the English civil wars. I kept flipping back to her Endnotes to follow up on some fascinating piece of information Childs mentioned, and it made me very happy to see the wealth of unpublished archival material she consulted - everything from William Lilly's papers to parish poor relief account books. Then there's an anonymous printed "siege diary" and a family history and letters and oodles of other great sources. Childs also brings in the newsbooks, and anyone who's ever done anything with the newsbooks of the English civil war knows they're not easy sources to navigate and use to tell a story like this. She seems to have hunted down every scrap of information she could find, whether archaeological or monumental or textual, to bring this episode to life. Not only that, but she has a historian's sense of source criticism paired with a story-teller's ability: able to comment on the value and credibility of any given source without allowing that commentary to overwhelm or stunt her narrative.

Of course, that does all mean there's a wealth of tangential information, which will not appeal to everyone. We learn about bananas and herbalism and astrology and early modern military medicine and the beginnings of Britain's involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. For that reason I'm not positive whether I'd recommend the book for those who don't already have some background on the Wars of the Three Kingdoms: it could be overwhelming. But if you do have a basic framework already, then this "story of the English Civil War" really fleshes out the picture and makes it much more real. Though Childs is obviously alive to the very real hypocrisies and ironies of the age, she is remarkably sensitive and manages to avoid the pitfall of presentism; she does not seem to be in a rage to adopt either a Parliamentarian or a Royalist party line, but rather to draw out the tragedy of war in the lives of real people. She even says something rather civil about such a character as Hugh Peter, and conveys the spirit of puritan apocalypticism without feeling a need to point a finger at it and loudly announce, "ISN'T THIS ABSURD???" She lets the era speak for itself via the wonderful sources she has brought together, and her own commentary and narration manages to bring you into that world without making you feel she's riding a hobby horse.

I'll be coming back to this book (and its endnotes) again.

[Christopher Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Siege of Loyalty House by Jessie Childs

There is something about a siege that demonstrates the despair and perils of war. This is my second time reading about the English Civil War and has been on my radar since it was published in 2022. I heard Jessie Childs discuss the story in her interview with Dan Snow on the History Hit podcast and was immediately intrigued. The Siege of Loyalty House is a fantastic opportunity to dive into a story about a siege that offered insight into the brutal conflict that is the broader history of England during the 1640s.

Loyalty House, the informal name for Basing House in Hampshire county, became a royalist stronghold at the outbreak of the civil war. With Charles I located to the north in Oxford, the royalist garrison at Basing House helped maintain their position in the south, not far from London, which was in the hands of the Parliamentarian forces.

Basing House came under siege three times between 1643 and 1645. Childs introduces the reader to a range of key figures and ordinary people who are transformed from their normal lives into new military and political roles. These figures suddenly find themselves in a world transformed as the squabbling between the King and Parliament thrusts the country into open conflict.

Childs’ narrative style is a bit different from what I’m used to with reading history. It took me a bit to get used to it but it worked and was enjoyable. There are certain breaks were the narration takes us back to the present, such as when she writes: “we’ll never know whether he/she…” However, I didn’t mind this much and the book was packed with an intense level of detail that all contributed to the recreation of the time period. One depiction of the combat stood out:

“The fighting was a messy affair. There was no standard uniform yet, so soldiers distinguished friend from foe by colours, field signs and passwords. At Cheriton that day, the parliamentarians chose to wear something white in their hats and use the password ‘God with us’. So too did the royalists. All was chaos, each man slashing and straining on uneven terrain along hedged lanes that caught the cavalry in bottlenecks.”

The siege demonstrated the gallantry of the garrison and how they were resourceful in holding off the Parliamentarian forces twice before falling to Oliver Cromwell in ‘45. Most interesting are the stories surrounding the personal lives of many key characters, such as Thomas Johnson, a London apothecary who joins up with the royalist cause.

The sectarian nature of the war was abundantly clear as the siege unfolded. Basing House itself became the target of Parliamentary propaganda, described as a den of papist who were conspiring to corrupt the country’s people. The garrison at Basing itself was a mix between Catholics and Protestants., although the religious differences between them were kept at bay, the internal politics and growing paranoia of spies within the royalist forces led to Charles to heed the Marquess of Winchester’s demands to remove Marmaduke Rawdon’s (Protestant) troops from Basing and direct them to the north.

I also enjoyed the presentation of Oliver Cromwell late into the story. As one of the central figures of the English Civil War, it was neat to introduce him later and Childs did an excellent job of explaining his perspective and how his forces ultimately prevail over the Royalist garrison within Basing House. It was also delightful to see what happened to the people who held out under the siege in the years that followed the end of the war. All in all, I highly recommend this book if you’re interested in the conflict and English history.

[Douglas Biggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine but I wanted to like it more. It was a very academic researched read, but it didn't seem to flow very well. On the other hand, every time I was about to give it a break the author would come up with some very funny or crazy anecdote that would make me want to keep reading.

[Godfrey Baldacchino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a poignant story of the English Civil War, told from the perspective of those who were involved with Basing House, as beseigers or beseiged. Based on a meticulous review of documents, the various characters come alive thanks to the pen of Jessie Childs.

[Carlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am already somewhat familiar with the broad details of the English Civil War, having read several books about this over the past couple of years, so I found this history focussed mainly upon the defence of a single location, Basing House (known as Loyalty House) fascinating and enlightening. Although Childs picks particular individuals and events to describe to create a “collage” patchwork history, I felt that this was done skilfully and successfully built a richly illustrative story of the Civil War.

Basing House was an old castle from the twelfth century with an adjoining “new” house (with over 300 rooms) from the fifteenth century which was a fortification used by Royalists during the English Civil War to disrupt communications between the West of England and London.
As well as being the Civil War story of Basing House, which was owned by John Paulet, the fifth Marquess of Winchester, this is also the story of London merchants, Marmaduke Rawdon and John Venn.
Childs starts the book building the background to the Civil War by describing the slowly divergent outlooks of Rawdon and Venn, who both serve in the Honourable Artillery Company (artillery meaning muskets at this time). This description of the military companies funded and manned by members of the London merchant guilds was really interesting, as I had not previously understood how the armed Parliamentary militia had been created.
Childs describes the outset of the Civil War in 1642 and how Rawdon, the Anglican Royalist (insultingly termed malignant by Parliamentarians) unsuccessfully tries with other London merchants to maintain peace between the King and Parliament, as war is bad for business. However Rawdon abides by his oath to the King and follows King Charles to Oxford when the King deems it unsafe in London.
Venn however is more protestant, and therefore becomes loyal to Parliament rather than the King.

Childs also takes the time to illustrate why landowners (with the example of Edward Pitt of Stratfield Saye) who tried to take a middle path between Royalist and Parliamentary forces could end up choosing one side of the other by suffering their dependents.

Rawdon with an infantry regiment he has financed, is asked by the King to defend Basing House, near Basingstoke in Berkshire, which is owned by the Roman Catholic Marquess of Winchester (as a peer, he is called by his title, Winchester, rather than by his surname). Winchester already has a militia guarding the house, which is supplemented by more Roman Catholics,and local conscripts.
Childs’ story now moves to consider the defence of Basing House and tries to discuss the difficult relations between Rawdon and Winchester, who each command a regiment stationed at Basing House, but with Rawdon being Anglican and Winchester a Roman Catholic.

For the summer of 1643, Childs is able to quote from the diary of an anonymous besieged person (probably written by an officer, due to the nature of the entries).

Extracts are skilfully taken from Humfrey Peake’s Meditations upon a Seige [sic] of 1646 to bring the contemporary humanity and misery of a siege within our comprehension, perhaps (the description of contemplations may be from Basing House, but this is not certain).

There are a good number of illustrations, but my one criticism would be that the author should have better described the size of Basing House, which was a small fortress, rather than a large house.

I found this an enjoyable history, peppered with interesting characters, anecdotes and facts, to make an engaging story.

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A war between brothers and cousins to determine the future of England is raging, but it is not the same kind of war England saw during medieval times. It is a clash of ideas, religious beliefs, and a fight for the survival of the reigning English king. On one side were the Catholic supporters of King Charles I, known as Cavaliers, and on the other were the Protestant Roundheads who wanted to see the king removed from the throne. Caught in the middle was the home of the Winchesters, known as Basing House, a royalist stronghold, which withstood sieges and bloodshed for two years amid the conflict. Jessie Childs’ latest book, “The Siege of Loyalty House: A Story of the English Civil War,” is dedicated to telling the story of this remarkable house and the men and women who fought to the death to defend it.

Before reading this book, I knew little about the English Civil War. I knew that it ended with the death of King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell became the new ruler of England, and I knew that one side was called Roundheads while the other was referred to as Cavaliers, but I did not know which was which. So, I was pretty much walking into this book and this period in English history blind. I had heard about this book from historian friends on social media, so I decided to give it a shot.

Childs has focused more on the men and women involved in defending Basing House, also known as “Loyalty House,” a stronghold for royalists or those who chose to tear down the barricades. These men and women were not soldiers, far from it. They were apothecaries, architects, mothers, wives, gamekeepers, and ordinary people, alongside the Marquess and Marchioness of Winchester. From 1643 until 1645, Basing House and its inhabitants faced the horror of war with numerous siege attempts by the Protestant Roundheads, who wanted to see the Catholic Cavaliers fall.

I found this an enjoyable read and very intriguing. It is well-researched and introduces a brand new cast of characters from the past, along with the harrowing tale of Basing House. As a novice in studying the English Civil War, it was a challenging read for me. I will return to this book once I read more books about the English Civil War.

Childs has written a thrilling tale about the horrors of war resilience of those within the walls of Basing House. This may have been the first book I have read written by Jessie Childs, but it will not be my last. Suppose you have read books about the English Civil War and want another unique look into this tumultuous time in English history. In that case, I highly suggest you read “The Siege of Loyalty House: A Story of the English Civil War” by Jessie Childs.

[Sembray · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I regularly visit the town of Basingstoke for both work and leisure reasons, and some years ago I was even fortunate enough to attend a re-enactment of the battle which is the focal point of this book, so you can imagine my excitement when I noticed that this locally-inspired title would be published by a firm of national repute. This book combines an enthralling narrative of the struggle for control of Basing House with a broader account of the English Civil War, one of the most significant and sometimes-overlooked periods in the nation's history. Childs's approach of using various characters to illustrate these tumultuous years and the impact they had on everyone from the King to the most humble individuals is novel and gives the story an emotional weight and relevance. I particularly enjoyed the passages detailing the siege itself, as these offered a gripping and immersive insight into the bloody business of warfare during the early modern period. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about one of the defining events of Basingstoke's history, as well as any fans of more general history looking for an accessible insight into the Civil War and the unique cast of men and women who fought in it.

[Luke Proudfoot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about the siege of Basing House in Hampshire during the English Civil War. The book starts slowly introducing us to each of the main characters going back many years into their pasts. This long lead in to even the start of the civil war let alone the siege was rather annoying as it felt like I was waiting and waiting for the action to start. When the siege begins the book does come more to life and becomes much more enjoyable. I did not like that at one point the author suddenly breaks from the narrative history to devote several pages to the archaeological finds at Basing House. All very interesting but maybe this could have been left for the epilogue rather than right in the middle of the siege. The author also uses some quite obscure (at least to me) words, such as querents, crepusculum, and palimpsest, meaning that I had to stop reading to look them up, which was annoying. These examples weren't from quotations, which would have been understandable. It was a reasonably enjoyable read once it got going.

[Chris Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The information provided in this book is interesting and well-researched, and any ellipses were well-argued. The maps were extremely detailed and, for the most part, helpful. That said, it was a very difficult book to read. Ms Childs' writing is clear, but her organization needs work. Two examples would be spying and medical instruments. She had the research and wanted to get it in the book, so there it is! The spies were blue-skied in, and the medical instruments did 'fit' a bit better. These non-sequiturs were distracting to the flow of the book. In the final paragraph (pp217-8), there is another clunker that does not work well in the conclusion. She gets the fourth star because of the good information provided by her research. Not the writing of it.

[Jennifer Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for those interested in the English Civil War. Great attention to detail and excellent sources. I particularly loved the first chapters that were rich in character development and history. Focusing in on the battles at Basing House left space for the interesting stories and relationships between the characters.

I first learned about this book in 2022 from one of the History podcasts. I pre-ordered and am so glad I did. As a genealogy buff, the historical perspective was a great help to understanding the lives and mindset of the people during that time.

Highly recommend for those with an interest in Elizabethan and English Civil War history.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessie Childs tells the story of Basing House during the English Civil War and shines a light on this not-well-known period of British history. Basing House was a focal point of the War because it sheltered a garrison of royalists—defenders of King Charles I—against the armies fighting for the supremacy of Parliament over the monarchy. The book is an outstanding success--an engrossing and exciting account incorporating the highest historical standards, thoroughly researched and documented. Highly recommended.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly superb book. ‘The Siege of Loyalty House’ is well researched and beautifully written. Childs has a remarkable ability to zoom in and out on events, showing how people can be swept up by the wider political context, but how individuals too are vital in shaping changes. She captures the fascinating stories of little-known individuals; the apothecaries, print sellers, preachers, merchants, and others whose lives became separated or intimately entwined as much through happenstance as the forces of history.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part i really enjoyed this read. Very detailed and informative, as a history teacher also very useful.

Would have loved a more focussed epilogue though. A bit of analysis from the author would have been a perfect ending. Was this a typical siege? What does it tell us about warfare? What does it tell us about opinions on the cavaliers and Roundheads? Would have given 5* if we had ended with an analysis.

But if you're not too interested in that, I would thoroughly recommend this read as a different way of doing non-fiction.

[Mark Bowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written account of a rather forgotten but vital episode in the Civil Wars (The Wars of the Three Kingdoms), the siege of Basing House, clearly based on very extensive research. The author doesn't stick entirely to the chronology, which makes for some confusion, and there are a few minor errors. The book could have done with a more detailed map of the immediate environs of Basing as well. Nevertheless, Childs manages to bring life to the main protagonists and makes the most of the extensive but inevitably incomplete evidence. It is a vivid story.

[Jon Lisle-Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Civil War: history with personal impact

Knowing the English Civil Wars as a sequence of events and battles is altogether one thing. Including the lives of those caught up in the madness of war is altogether another matter.
The first part of the book concerning the drift into armed conflict is effective and affecting. I've seldom encountered a better exposition.
The siege itself is a horror story with a clear oversight as well as an insight into human suffering, random and sad.
It would be most instructive as a teaching aid. Well worth reading.

[Ed Crutchley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly well told account of the plight of Basing House near Basingstoke during the Civil War. The descriptions of 17th century warfare, the actions of both sides, and the many personalities involved are extensively researched. The epilogue is a masterpiece. Such a beautifully written book is terrific fun to read despite the grimness of the subject. I can’t recall such a good book on history.

[Daniel Polansky]

It is always an odd marvel to me how little even educated Englishfolk know about their own history. Their civil war is largely a lacunae for most of the anglos I speak to, and the Glorious Revolution fails to elicit more than an eye blink. I mean we're dumb as shit too, don't get me wrong. God knows I've got no delusions about the quality of my countrymen. Anyway, this was a perfectly readable few hundred pages, the kind of on the ground history that I find both enjoyable and enlightening.

[Peter Beard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating story very well told.

Jessie Childs held my interest throughout this book. The story is based on the lives of the main participants using contempory sources to take you back to the time of the plague, the civil war, puritans, Anglicans, papists, and the execution of a king. We follow the main players as they are forced to pick sides and that friend becomes foe and their worlds stop while they fight their wars.
I enjoyed this book, I also learnt a lot. I highly recommend it.

[Nick Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Jessie Childs does extraordinarily well is to turn a Civil War siege I had never heard of into both an account of the wider events of the Civil War but, more importantly, a collection of human stories about the many different people who took part and how they found themselves fighting for a country house is Southern England.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book that uses the microcosm of a long siege of a Royalist stronghold to focus in on the complexities of the English Civil War and the people caught up in its savageries but also acts of honour at times. It was indeed in so many ways a world turned upside down.

[Daniel Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful work. It brings the whole siege to life, enabling you to enter it through the lens of the key characters involved. Meticulously researched, superbly written, and often very funny.

[Michael Romo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary siege and an extraordinary book! This book was extremely readable and knowledgeable. I learned a lot of things about the English Civil War, that I simply did not know. Highly recommended.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. Lots of facts told in an engaging way. Wonderful