Five books crammed with revolutionary zeal, chosen by author and professor of early modern literature and history Alice Hunt.
The Trial of Charles I by CV Wedgwood
A vivid, forensically detailed, affecting account of the last days of Charles I, from his trial in Westminster Hall to his execution in the middle of Whitehall.
The World Turned Upside Down by Christopher Hill
A compelling book about the fascinating radicals who flourished in the political turmoil of the 1640s and 1650s: the Diggers, Levellers, Ranters, Seekers. It changed the way people thought about the English revolution.
God’s Executioner by Micheál Ó Siochrú
The story of the English revolution is also the story of atrocities in Ireland in the mid-17th century. This is a thorough and radical interpretation of a difficult period in Anglo-Irish history – and of the part played by Oliver Cromwell in transforming Ireland.
Paradise Lost by John Milton
Milton’s epic poem about Adam and Eve and their banishment from Eden is essential reading for anyone interested in the English revolution. Bold, ambitious, shocking, Milton’s dramatic retelling of the Bible story is steeped in the language of rebellion. It changed the course of English poetry.
The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton
Who would have thought that a little book about fishing, friendship and the English countryside would become a bestseller in Cromwell’s Britain? But it did, and it has never been out of print since. To read it is to be taken right back to the 1650s.
