What do you think?
Rate this book
The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown
‘The execution of the king took place on a bleak, bitterly cold afternoon in January. As the executioner landed the single blow that severed Charles I’s head, the crowd let out a deep collective moan. Within weeks both the monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished. The future was in the hands of the people.’
The Restless Republic tells the story of what life was like during the unprecedented and unrepeated decade when Britain was governed without a king. Who cut radical paths? And who suffered the monumental costs?
Acclaimed historian Anna Keay follows nine figures who made names for themselves during this time. Among them Anna Trapnel, the young prophet whose visions transfixed the nation. John Bradshaw, the Cheshire lawyer who found himself trying the king. Gerrard Winstanley, the man who saw a utopia where land was shared and no one went hungry. William Petty, the precocious academic whose audacious enterprise to map Ireland led to the dispossession of tens of thousands. The redoubtable Countess of Derby who defended fiercely the last Royalist stronghold on the Isle of Man. And Marchamont Nedham, the irrepressible newspaper man and puppet-master of propaganda.
The Restless Republic ranges from the corridors of Westminster to the common fields of England. Gathering her cast of trembling visionaries and banished royalists, dextrous mandarins and bewildered bystanders, Anna Keay brings to vivid life the most extraordinary and experimental decade in Britain’s history. It is the story of what happened when a conservative people tried revolution.
The Restless Republic tells the story of what life was like during the unprecedented and unrepeated decade when Britain was governed without a king. Who cut radical paths? And who suffered the monumental costs?
Acclaimed historian Anna Keay follows nine figures who made names for themselves during this time. Among them Anna Trapnel, the young prophet whose visions transfixed the nation. John Bradshaw, the Cheshire lawyer who found himself trying the king. Gerrard Winstanley, the man who saw a utopia where land was shared and no one went hungry. William Petty, the precocious academic whose audacious enterprise to map Ireland led to the dispossession of tens of thousands. The redoubtable Countess of Derby who defended fiercely the last Royalist stronghold on the Isle of Man. And Marchamont Nedham, the irrepressible newspaper man and puppet-master of propaganda.
The Restless Republic ranges from the corridors of Westminster to the common fields of England. Gathering her cast of trembling visionaries and banished royalists, dextrous mandarins and bewildered bystanders, Anna Keay brings to vivid life the most extraordinary and experimental decade in Britain’s history. It is the story of what happened when a conservative people tried revolution.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2022
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
September 30, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyable. Anna Keay's book provides a very interesting account of the story of Britain as was (England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland) in 1642 and onwards until the Restoration in 1660.
For newcomers to the complex subject of the English Civil war [or The Great Rebellion], the Regicide of Charles I, and the following Commonwealth and Protectorate, this is a good book to grab hold of. For those who have some experience of dipping into Stuart-Cromwellian Britain, there is a considerable amount to be gained too.
Anna Keay's approach is to use the stories and accounts of well-known figures but also some who are less known, and indeed some new to the wider audience general reader.
In a chronological order we flow from the days of war and then the shock of Regicide and on to the Commonwealth and the various parliaments and political events. Here then we meet Oliver Cromwell, Generals Fairfax and Monck, the future Charles II, John Bradshaw and others well-known. However, we also meet and follow those who play a often central part (even if only for a chapter or two), and this for me, along with Keay's detail and ability to weave so many characters and events together, was the pleasure of the book. There are references to Diggers, Levellers, Covenanters, Quakers and more, and so called prophets and future tellers. The importance of news sheets/papers is shown as is the English plans, actions and aftermath in Ireland, including the Catholic violence in 1641 and then the mass killing and movements of whole communities of towns, villages and hamlets to western Ireland by the English. The chapters on mapping Ireland was both new and fascinating to me. One of the surprising and very interesting aspects was the central part played by women in the events: three names come to mind - Charlotte, Countess of Derby, Anne Monck and Anna Trapnel. The book is worth its price for these three alone.
Overall, a different and panoramic but very readable perspective of Britain without a crown as a Restless Republic
My copy was a William Collins paperback with 24 colour plates, and over 30 integrated b&w images. Numerous detailed sources notes and an excellent rich and full bibliography. There are two family trees and 2 maps.
Highly recommended.
For newcomers to the complex subject of the English Civil war [or The Great Rebellion], the Regicide of Charles I, and the following Commonwealth and Protectorate, this is a good book to grab hold of. For those who have some experience of dipping into Stuart-Cromwellian Britain, there is a considerable amount to be gained too.
Anna Keay's approach is to use the stories and accounts of well-known figures but also some who are less known, and indeed some new to the wider audience general reader.
In a chronological order we flow from the days of war and then the shock of Regicide and on to the Commonwealth and the various parliaments and political events. Here then we meet Oliver Cromwell, Generals Fairfax and Monck, the future Charles II, John Bradshaw and others well-known. However, we also meet and follow those who play a often central part (even if only for a chapter or two), and this for me, along with Keay's detail and ability to weave so many characters and events together, was the pleasure of the book. There are references to Diggers, Levellers, Covenanters, Quakers and more, and so called prophets and future tellers. The importance of news sheets/papers is shown as is the English plans, actions and aftermath in Ireland, including the Catholic violence in 1641 and then the mass killing and movements of whole communities of towns, villages and hamlets to western Ireland by the English. The chapters on mapping Ireland was both new and fascinating to me. One of the surprising and very interesting aspects was the central part played by women in the events: three names come to mind - Charlotte, Countess of Derby, Anne Monck and Anna Trapnel. The book is worth its price for these three alone.
Overall, a different and panoramic but very readable perspective of Britain without a crown as a Restless Republic
My copy was a William Collins paperback with 24 colour plates, and over 30 integrated b&w images. Numerous detailed sources notes and an excellent rich and full bibliography. There are two family trees and 2 maps.
Highly recommended.
May 1, 2023
The idea of reinstituting the office of king was not in itself new. Few even of those involved in the trial of Charles I, Cromwell included, had expected the monarchy itself to fall and after those radical first months the revival of the office of monarch had been periodically discussed.
This is a surprising idea to appear in chapter 15 of 18 (19 if you include the epilogue) in a book explicitly about the interregnum. It's also, unexpectedly, a chapter that focuses on Oliver Cromwell, a man who has, inevitably, appeared throughout much of the preceding narrative. My point is that I found the ordering of this book not always helpful to those of us who are not experts on this period and I frequently found myself faced with information that I wish I'd been told earlier, such as the biographical background to Cromwell himself and his thoughts on the concept of monarchy.
Keay has chosen to narrate the story of this period through mini biographies of individuals: some are 'big' political or cultural figures (Monke, Cromwell, Petty), others more obscure (Anna Trapnell) and their lives intercept at times which means that the chronology can get messy if, like me, you're looking for a historical overview of the period. For me, this book feels, at times, bitty and fragmented and I'd have benefited from more dots being joined. Some chapters almost feel like mini essays on, say, the Diggers and Levellers and other religious sects.
Personally, I wanted more context: Anna Trapnell, for example, was a Puritan prophetess and she feels like a singular character in this narrative. I'd have liked to have seen her placed into a 'tradition' of female visionaries such as Margery Kempe, Elizabeth Barton and Anne Askew to help make cultural sense of her.
I also didn't find the writing always engaging. To be fair, Keay is marshalling a lot of information here but the structure seemed to get in the way of historical flow in my case. A little disappointing though I did come away with some insights into this complicated period, not least the growth of popular journalism.
February 28, 2022
I was the sort of kid at school it was impossible to get interested in learning, everything was so very dull with the teachers droning on and on…my history teacher actually taught PE and had no knowledge of the second subject he was forced to teach. So as soon as I got a chance I dropped history…now and then though a book comes along that makes me regret that decision big time, imagine how much I could have learnt if Anna Keay was my teacher. This book was a fascinating read, I always assumed that Oliver Cromwell was a psycho that killed many to fill his need to become King, what this book has done is bring him to life and explain his role in the ending of Charles I reign and the years that followed. I feel like I have a great understanding behind his motives and that he did believe he was following god’s will and not doing this all for himself.
The book isn’t just about Cromwell, I only mentioned him as he was one of the biggest players in this moment of history, it actually follows a small number of people, not all of them well known, and the book looks at how they played their part in events and how in their small ways they influenced things. The book follows these people in a chronological format starting with those that were involved with the King’s trial all the way up to those that helped get Charles II on the throne. The research has been impeccable, it must have taken a long time to find out all this info about those with smaller parts, in fact Keay has to admit defeat on the ending of one person as they just seemed to vanish. A lot of history books can be very dry and filled with quote after quote, this one is very different, the quotes are kept to a minimum and the rest is all Keay’s words, at times I got so caught up in the narrative that I forgot it wasn’t fiction. The book is over 400 pages and not once did I get bored and that is a huge accomplishment for this sort of subject.
For me the most interesting thing in this book was the part women played, they were so strong and without their influence over the men things could have been very different…and as is usually the case they get mostly forgotten over time. I loved how one Lady held a castle under siege against one of the toughest generals (A real Game of Thrones woman), another held her own in court against some manly lawyers and another was instrumental in putting a King back on the throne. Absolutely fascinating stuff.
I highly recommend this book, a small period of history that was very unique and these peoples stories have been told in a riveting way.
Blog Review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...
The book isn’t just about Cromwell, I only mentioned him as he was one of the biggest players in this moment of history, it actually follows a small number of people, not all of them well known, and the book looks at how they played their part in events and how in their small ways they influenced things. The book follows these people in a chronological format starting with those that were involved with the King’s trial all the way up to those that helped get Charles II on the throne. The research has been impeccable, it must have taken a long time to find out all this info about those with smaller parts, in fact Keay has to admit defeat on the ending of one person as they just seemed to vanish. A lot of history books can be very dry and filled with quote after quote, this one is very different, the quotes are kept to a minimum and the rest is all Keay’s words, at times I got so caught up in the narrative that I forgot it wasn’t fiction. The book is over 400 pages and not once did I get bored and that is a huge accomplishment for this sort of subject.
For me the most interesting thing in this book was the part women played, they were so strong and without their influence over the men things could have been very different…and as is usually the case they get mostly forgotten over time. I loved how one Lady held a castle under siege against one of the toughest generals (A real Game of Thrones woman), another held her own in court against some manly lawyers and another was instrumental in putting a King back on the throne. Absolutely fascinating stuff.
I highly recommend this book, a small period of history that was very unique and these peoples stories have been told in a riveting way.
Blog Review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...
May 31, 2023
You Say You Want a Revolution
Review of the William Morrow hardcover edition (March 3, 2022)
I will sometimes travel the road not taken, when signs point to it, and get off my main course of genre fiction mixed with the occasional literary fiction and the reading in my heritage language of Estonian. So when signs appeared such as GR Friend Gumble's Yard's 5 star review of Restless Republic along with the daily news leading up to the coronation of King Charles III, I turned off the main road to delve into the time when England was a Republic between the execution of Charles I (1649) and the restoration of the monarchy with Charles II (1660).
The dustcover image of the book is cropped from the print 'Oliver Cromwell and the Royall Oake of Brittayne' (1649) by Clement Walker, which shows the Lord Protector directing the destruction of a tree representing the British Monarchy.
Keay's history is not a chronological story of the Interregnum, but instead focuses on 9 individuals who played significant roles during that time (you can see them listed in the Gumble's Yards' review linked above, so I won't relist them here). Aside from those featured characters there were plenty of curious side-paths to take as well.
I ended up reading further on such things as the brutal execution by hanging of condemned murderess Anne Greene (who was likely innocent of the accused infanticide) who came back to life before being dissected on the examination table of William Petty, whose mapping of Ireland was the main reason for his inclusion in the 9.
The savagery of the time is further displayed in the conquest of Ireland by Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army when an estimated half million of Irish (out of an estimated population of 2 million) died through war or starvation. It was the 'war that finished Ireland' (from the Irish: an cogadh do chriochnaigh Eire) according to the poet Seán Ó Conaill aka John O'Connell in his Tuireamh na hÉireann (English: Ireland's Lament (1657?).
This was a well written and fascinating history of a time which I knew little about. While reading, I also noted the recent publication of Jonathan Healey's The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689 (published April 11, 2023) which covers an even greater portion of that era. I may follow-up further with that reading as well.
Review of the William Morrow hardcover edition (March 3, 2022)
The 1650s was a time of extraordinarily ambitious political, social, economic and intellectual innovation, and it was not a foregone conclusion that the British republic would fail. But it was also a time about which a characterisation in the negative, ‘Britain without a Crown’, is relevant. The decade was defined to a significant degree by what was being rejected. Indeed part of the reason for the fall of the republic was that its protagonists agreed far more on what they did not want than what they sought in its place. Furthermore one of the republic of Britain’s enduring legacies has been as a historical cautionary tale, a ghoul summoned up at times of turmoil to deter later generations from a course of radicalism. That the United Kingdom remains a monarchy to this day is due in no small part to the events and experiences described in this book. - excerpt from the Introduction by Anna Keay.
I will sometimes travel the road not taken, when signs point to it, and get off my main course of genre fiction mixed with the occasional literary fiction and the reading in my heritage language of Estonian. So when signs appeared such as GR Friend Gumble's Yard's 5 star review of Restless Republic along with the daily news leading up to the coronation of King Charles III, I turned off the main road to delve into the time when England was a Republic between the execution of Charles I (1649) and the restoration of the monarchy with Charles II (1660).
The dustcover image of the book is cropped from the print 'Oliver Cromwell and the Royall Oake of Brittayne' (1649) by Clement Walker, which shows the Lord Protector directing the destruction of a tree representing the British Monarchy.
Keay's history is not a chronological story of the Interregnum, but instead focuses on 9 individuals who played significant roles during that time (you can see them listed in the Gumble's Yards' review linked above, so I won't relist them here). Aside from those featured characters there were plenty of curious side-paths to take as well.
I ended up reading further on such things as the brutal execution by hanging of condemned murderess Anne Greene (who was likely innocent of the accused infanticide) who came back to life before being dissected on the examination table of William Petty, whose mapping of Ireland was the main reason for his inclusion in the 9.
The savagery of the time is further displayed in the conquest of Ireland by Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army when an estimated half million of Irish (out of an estimated population of 2 million) died through war or starvation. It was the 'war that finished Ireland' (from the Irish: an cogadh do chriochnaigh Eire) according to the poet Seán Ó Conaill aka John O'Connell in his Tuireamh na hÉireann (English: Ireland's Lament (1657?).
This was a well written and fascinating history of a time which I knew little about. While reading, I also noted the recent publication of Jonathan Healey's The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689 (published April 11, 2023) which covers an even greater portion of that era. I may follow-up further with that reading as well.
March 3, 2023
Very readable and enjoyable history of the Interregnum. Keay selected nine fairly representative men and women who played roles in the period and managed to cover ground in England, Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. (What about Wales?) The focus of the book was mainly politics, including the role of the army and the political role of religion. Except for some discussion of the role of newspapers in politics, both as influencers and their battles with censorship, culture, education, the economy, and daily life were covered only in the barest outline, although the devastation brought by England to Ireland during this period was described in detail.
I had not previously realised the extent of the conflicts between the executive leadership and the various iterations of Parliament they allowed to exist, only to repeatedly dismiss them for asserting their own sovereignty. And it was fascinating to see how little unity there among the governing elite was in deciding what do do with power (other than to completely subjugate Ireland) and how unprepared they were to carry out a political program, other than rewarding itself and its followers and punishing its enemies. It makes me wonder whether there was any way to govern a nation as large as England (let alone adding Scotland and Ireland to the pot) in that time without the hierarchies and reward structures of the monarchy. Democracy evolved very slowly in the U.K.
I would have liked more details on the end of the Interregnum. The military end was well-detailed, but how did the popular demand for the Restoration develop so quickly? How significant was it? Was Charles II simply the luckiest man in history?
In all, it was a great read and taught me a lot about the period.
I had not previously realised the extent of the conflicts between the executive leadership and the various iterations of Parliament they allowed to exist, only to repeatedly dismiss them for asserting their own sovereignty. And it was fascinating to see how little unity there among the governing elite was in deciding what do do with power (other than to completely subjugate Ireland) and how unprepared they were to carry out a political program, other than rewarding itself and its followers and punishing its enemies. It makes me wonder whether there was any way to govern a nation as large as England (let alone adding Scotland and Ireland to the pot) in that time without the hierarchies and reward structures of the monarchy. Democracy evolved very slowly in the U.K.
I would have liked more details on the end of the Interregnum. The military end was well-detailed, but how did the popular demand for the Restoration develop so quickly? How significant was it? Was Charles II simply the luckiest man in history?
In all, it was a great read and taught me a lot about the period.
August 16, 2022
Looking at the events leading up to the creation of the Republic (commonwealth) in 1649 and the conflicting interests until the Restoration in 1660, detailed examination and easy to read as well, a more aftermath of the civil wars.
April 5, 2022
Through half a dozen biographies that capture the extroadinary variety and vibrancy of the Interregnum, Anna Keay brilliantly evokes the most radical decade of British history. Thorough scholarship, lucid prose, a clear love for her subject and sympathetic humanity all come to bear in this fantastic account of Britain's journey through republicanism and social upheaval. Keay convincingly recasts this typically grim and oppressive period as one of extroadinary possibility and surprising toleration.
March 26, 2022
What a magnificent book!!!!! Keay has made an absolutely superb choice of figures for her cameo portraits, and she weaves all their stories together to create a brilliant depiction of the many facets of this fascinating and complex period. She is all but flawless in her distillations of the people and the issues, and she writes splendidly. Whether you are brand new to this period, or more or less immersed in it (as I am), this is a fascinating and illuminating book, and it is a joy to read. A stunning achievement.
January 20, 2024
One of the best books I read in 2023. A compelling narrative of what happened when Britain beheaded her king, inadvertently even bringing the monarchy itself to an abrupt end. That was a simple fact I had not realised: not even Cromwell himself had
imagined or necessarily wanted his nation to be without a king full stop, but simply without this king. Ironically, when the republic collapsed, he ended up taking up the role of quasi-king his very self.
Keay tells this story by looking at 8 major and minor characters, male and female, elite & destitute. These pen portraits together interweave to constitute a richly illuminating landscape sketch of surely the most fascinating chapter in the history of Britain. Standouts for me were the accounts of the Earl & Countess of Derby marooned on the little Royalist haven of the Isle of Man, and especially the tale of William Petty. The latter is a simply fascinating and dynamic figure of whom I had never heard before. He went from rags to riches via the adventures & inventions of a burgeoning scientific mind. We start in his room on the Oxford High Street above an apothecary, where his anatomical dissections let to him sensationally raising 'from the dead' a maid who'd recently been hanged. We follow him as he founds the Royal Society then travels across land and sea to his groundbreaking, history-making (not to mention lucrative!) mapping of the entirety of Ireland using rudimentary tools & untrained men on grueling territory.
We learn not only the story of the war but of Britain's political fortunes cycling through monarchy, republic, protectorate, junta rule via military coup, and back again. We see the very masterminds of the revolution like Monk & Fairfax play the key roles in re-establishing royal rule. We learn of scientific inventions & discoveries, not least that the heart doesn't merely palpitate blood but circulates it. But we also see how this period sowed the seeds for a free media press, the Industrial Revolution, the mercantile policies of modern capitalism and a colonial empire.
A compelling read!
imagined or necessarily wanted his nation to be without a king full stop, but simply without this king. Ironically, when the republic collapsed, he ended up taking up the role of quasi-king his very self.
Keay tells this story by looking at 8 major and minor characters, male and female, elite & destitute. These pen portraits together interweave to constitute a richly illuminating landscape sketch of surely the most fascinating chapter in the history of Britain. Standouts for me were the accounts of the Earl & Countess of Derby marooned on the little Royalist haven of the Isle of Man, and especially the tale of William Petty. The latter is a simply fascinating and dynamic figure of whom I had never heard before. He went from rags to riches via the adventures & inventions of a burgeoning scientific mind. We start in his room on the Oxford High Street above an apothecary, where his anatomical dissections let to him sensationally raising 'from the dead' a maid who'd recently been hanged. We follow him as he founds the Royal Society then travels across land and sea to his groundbreaking, history-making (not to mention lucrative!) mapping of the entirety of Ireland using rudimentary tools & untrained men on grueling territory.
We learn not only the story of the war but of Britain's political fortunes cycling through monarchy, republic, protectorate, junta rule via military coup, and back again. We see the very masterminds of the revolution like Monk & Fairfax play the key roles in re-establishing royal rule. We learn of scientific inventions & discoveries, not least that the heart doesn't merely palpitate blood but circulates it. But we also see how this period sowed the seeds for a free media press, the Industrial Revolution, the mercantile policies of modern capitalism and a colonial empire.
A compelling read!
May 16, 2023
Fascinating and readable account of the turbulent years between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in 1660. Anna Keay uses short biographies of people who became public figures in that period - for example a Royalist aristocrat, a religious ‘prophetess’, a gifted and opportunistic journalist, a doctor who turned his talents to surveying - and links them to the political and military upheaval of the Interregnum.
I was totally gripped by this account of a period I knew only in terms of dates and Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell does of course have a significant role in events, but there are others whose contributions and decisions ultimately drove the fate of the short-lived republic. Keay shows the wide range of religious and political views in the population, preventing any consensus on what the new Parliament and government should be, and makes clear how actions in Ireland and Scotland changed the course of history for those countries over the following centuries.
This is necessarily quite a broad brush view which focuses primarily on domestic political change - military conflicts and foreign affairs are dealt with briefly and only in so far as they touch the main narrative - but this serves to give a vivid and colourful view of an unusual decade. The biographical approach was underpinned by a chronological progression through the Interregnum so that characters we met early on reappeared in later chapters, and this worked well to make it clear how events unfolded and affected others.
Brilliant non-fiction writing, I abandoned other books to finish this as I was totally engaged by the characters and the period.
I was totally gripped by this account of a period I knew only in terms of dates and Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell does of course have a significant role in events, but there are others whose contributions and decisions ultimately drove the fate of the short-lived republic. Keay shows the wide range of religious and political views in the population, preventing any consensus on what the new Parliament and government should be, and makes clear how actions in Ireland and Scotland changed the course of history for those countries over the following centuries.
This is necessarily quite a broad brush view which focuses primarily on domestic political change - military conflicts and foreign affairs are dealt with briefly and only in so far as they touch the main narrative - but this serves to give a vivid and colourful view of an unusual decade. The biographical approach was underpinned by a chronological progression through the Interregnum so that characters we met early on reappeared in later chapters, and this worked well to make it clear how events unfolded and affected others.
Brilliant non-fiction writing, I abandoned other books to finish this as I was totally engaged by the characters and the period.
May 27, 2023
The 1650s were wild
December 25, 2022
I seem to have read so many books about the English civil war that I doubt there’s anything different or new I could learn about the period. And yet, Anna Keay’s book manages to give a new, and different slant on the events following the execution of Charles 1. She does this by recounting what happened through the experiences of nine individuals, most of whom were unknown to me.
She also covers in great detail (perhaps too much detail) the toing and froing of arguments and events surrounding exactly how the new republic was to be governed. Despite it being a period of change and radical new ideas, in the end the attitudes of the rulers was too conservative, ending with the push to make Cromwell king. It explains where we are now when, after the death of a monarch who reigned for 70 years, we have a new coronation next year with little or no debate about whether to continue with this anachronism in a 21st century democracy.
The other powerful part of the book is the horrific details of what happened in Ireland, the results of which we still live with today.
She also covers in great detail (perhaps too much detail) the toing and froing of arguments and events surrounding exactly how the new republic was to be governed. Despite it being a period of change and radical new ideas, in the end the attitudes of the rulers was too conservative, ending with the push to make Cromwell king. It explains where we are now when, after the death of a monarch who reigned for 70 years, we have a new coronation next year with little or no debate about whether to continue with this anachronism in a 21st century democracy.
The other powerful part of the book is the horrific details of what happened in Ireland, the results of which we still live with today.
July 12, 2023
Keay's telling of a turbulent decade in British history takes character as its focus. The figures who impact the story are from all walks of life and Keay writes compellingly about their everyday lives in addition to their impact on momentous events and movements.
A wonderful book and I highly recommend it.
A wonderful book and I highly recommend it.
June 6, 2023
This is an excellent study of that most fascinating period in English history - the 11 years after the execution of Charles I when England had no king.
The republic which ensued was not the intended outcome for many of those who fought on the winning side in the Civil War. It was certainly not planned for and it was really only the iron will and charisma of Cromwell that held things together.
Keays, we are told, was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2019 and may well have knelt to receive it from the late queen or another member of her household.
It seems oddly ironic that this recipient of royal patronage has chosen to write about the brief ascendency of English republicanism.
Yet she writes well, bringing history to life through telling it through the eyes of those who witnessed it from the lofty to the lowly. A great contribution to our understanding of the time when the world was turned upside down after a bloodied king's head was lopped from his shoulders.
The republic which ensued was not the intended outcome for many of those who fought on the winning side in the Civil War. It was certainly not planned for and it was really only the iron will and charisma of Cromwell that held things together.
Keays, we are told, was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2019 and may well have knelt to receive it from the late queen or another member of her household.
It seems oddly ironic that this recipient of royal patronage has chosen to write about the brief ascendency of English republicanism.
Yet she writes well, bringing history to life through telling it through the eyes of those who witnessed it from the lofty to the lowly. A great contribution to our understanding of the time when the world was turned upside down after a bloodied king's head was lopped from his shoulders.
April 10, 2024
The 52 Week Reading Challenge: A yellow spine (28)
3*
The book follows a chronological narrative that tells the story of the newly formed Republic after the execution of Charles I. Nine individuals are focused on that had varied experiences during this time.
This is not a period of history that I find particularly interesting or appealing and have little knowledge of. I found the book interesting and readable as it offered varied accounts of the time period and different perspectives.
3*
The book follows a chronological narrative that tells the story of the newly formed Republic after the execution of Charles I. Nine individuals are focused on that had varied experiences during this time.
This is not a period of history that I find particularly interesting or appealing and have little knowledge of. I found the book interesting and readable as it offered varied accounts of the time period and different perspectives.
March 16, 2023
I have been reading a lot of histories of seventeenth century England/Britain in the past year and this book concentrates on the twelve years from about 1648 to 1660 by exploring the lives of individuals who lived through that time and recorded their experiences, or for whom historical records can be reconstructed. Keay accepts that this is necessarily selective and also appreciates that their lives extended before and after this period, but seeks to provide a history of the period through her selected individuals’ experiences.
For me, this is history as it should be written: wide ranging, thoughtful, thought provoking and a fun read. Keay has chosen a handful of individuals to represent this period, and has made a gloriously imaginative selection.
Portrayed are:
• John Bradshaw, a solicitor from Cheshire who became president of the parliamentary commission to try king Charles I in 1649.
• Gerrard Winstanley, a failed London businessman who became the “leader” of the Digger movement (proto-communists) in 1650.
• Charlotte, Countess of Derby and her husband who was a Royalist initially withstanding seiges of their Cheshire castle, Lathom House in 1644, and later Castle Rushen on the Isle of Man in 1651.
• Marchamont Nedham, a journalist of the Royalist publication Mercurius Pragmaticus, who when imprisoned for his writings by the Republic, accepted the job of public relations for Parliament, publishing Mercurius Politicus. He became the first famous political journalist. This covers the period up to Cromwell’s military coup of Parliament in April 1653.
• Anna Trapnel, a Puritan evangelical (Fifth Monarchist), who became politicised against Cromwell’s regime despite it allowing religious toleration, as it still didn’t go far enough
• Sir Hamon L’Estrange, a country squire and owner of Norfolk’s Hunstanton House. Initially siding with the Royalists and commanding King’s Lynn, he had subsequently retired from politics and with his industrious and practical wife, had sought to buy back his estates lost through Parliamentary fines.
• William Petty, an Oxford doctor, convener of the Oxford Experimental Philosophy Society, which became the Royal Society. By being doctor to the Major General of Ireland, he learns of the plan for a survey of Ireland by professional surveyors which is to take seven years. As a practical thinker, he offers to use untrained but experienced army personnel to complete the process in thirteen months, and he successfully delivers on his commission.
• Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector. I haven’t read a biography, so the two chapters about Cromwell’s rejection of the crown and duality between his country gentleman upbringing and epiphany of radical religious convictions were succinct but enlightening.
• George Monck, a professional soldier, initially fighting for the Royalists, but after capture and imprisonment, for the Parliamentarians. After Cromwell’s death and a military takeover of Parliament (again), Monck used the army in Scotland to “defeat” by diplomacy and threat, the London military and re-establish Parliament, then the return of the monarchy.
Brilliant history.
For me, this is history as it should be written: wide ranging, thoughtful, thought provoking and a fun read. Keay has chosen a handful of individuals to represent this period, and has made a gloriously imaginative selection.
Portrayed are:
• John Bradshaw, a solicitor from Cheshire who became president of the parliamentary commission to try king Charles I in 1649.
• Gerrard Winstanley, a failed London businessman who became the “leader” of the Digger movement (proto-communists) in 1650.
• Charlotte, Countess of Derby and her husband who was a Royalist initially withstanding seiges of their Cheshire castle, Lathom House in 1644, and later Castle Rushen on the Isle of Man in 1651.
• Marchamont Nedham, a journalist of the Royalist publication Mercurius Pragmaticus, who when imprisoned for his writings by the Republic, accepted the job of public relations for Parliament, publishing Mercurius Politicus. He became the first famous political journalist. This covers the period up to Cromwell’s military coup of Parliament in April 1653.
• Anna Trapnel, a Puritan evangelical (Fifth Monarchist), who became politicised against Cromwell’s regime despite it allowing religious toleration, as it still didn’t go far enough
• Sir Hamon L’Estrange, a country squire and owner of Norfolk’s Hunstanton House. Initially siding with the Royalists and commanding King’s Lynn, he had subsequently retired from politics and with his industrious and practical wife, had sought to buy back his estates lost through Parliamentary fines.
• William Petty, an Oxford doctor, convener of the Oxford Experimental Philosophy Society, which became the Royal Society. By being doctor to the Major General of Ireland, he learns of the plan for a survey of Ireland by professional surveyors which is to take seven years. As a practical thinker, he offers to use untrained but experienced army personnel to complete the process in thirteen months, and he successfully delivers on his commission.
• Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector. I haven’t read a biography, so the two chapters about Cromwell’s rejection of the crown and duality between his country gentleman upbringing and epiphany of radical religious convictions were succinct but enlightening.
• George Monck, a professional soldier, initially fighting for the Royalists, but after capture and imprisonment, for the Parliamentarians. After Cromwell’s death and a military takeover of Parliament (again), Monck used the army in Scotland to “defeat” by diplomacy and threat, the London military and re-establish Parliament, then the return of the monarchy.
Brilliant history.
August 2, 2023
I knew they cut off the King’s head. I knew that they brought back his son Charles II and I had no interest in what happened in between. I knew Cromwell was involved but it weren’t for me. I’m not a Civil War sort of girl. But…but what could easily be a very dry time about Parliamentary versus army fighting Anna Keay douses with life. Through the lives of those who are not the well known players she weaves a tapestry so vivid not only did I gain a deeper understanding of what happened between the regicide and restoration but feel like I understand the age.
Discovering the stories of a religious group wanting to return to the land, a grand lady on the losing side holding onto her lands and titles, a newspaper man who feels so modern, and finding out a man who we should all know along side the name Cromwell.
I’ve not enjoyed a history book quite so much in quite some time. All the more impressive because this is not about my favourite medieval Europe. I do not give history books a five star often but this is definitely exceptional.
Discovering the stories of a religious group wanting to return to the land, a grand lady on the losing side holding onto her lands and titles, a newspaper man who feels so modern, and finding out a man who we should all know along side the name Cromwell.
I’ve not enjoyed a history book quite so much in quite some time. All the more impressive because this is not about my favourite medieval Europe. I do not give history books a five star often but this is definitely exceptional.
August 23, 2023
Keay does a great job telling the story of a complicated decade, animating the historian's traditional stringing together of dates/places/events with a set of personal stories covering the full range of social classes and political sympathies. The use of mini-biographies can lead to some confusing timeline intersections (more than once I needed to page back to re-anchor myself), but it does an excellent job of immersing the reader in the real-life impact of what can other seem to be esoteric differences in religious practices or political philosophy.
Keay provides a very balanced view of the different sides of the conflict. Her portrait of Cromwell shows all his sides -- the brutal soldier, the loyal friend, the doting parent, the deep believer in predestination. Keay seems to trust the reader to draw their own conclusions rather than banging them over the head with hers.
Keay provides a very balanced view of the different sides of the conflict. Her portrait of Cromwell shows all his sides -- the brutal soldier, the loyal friend, the doting parent, the deep believer in predestination. Keay seems to trust the reader to draw their own conclusions rather than banging them over the head with hers.
July 13, 2022
A fantastic read, I learned so much! I really appreciated the variety of figures that Anna Keay chose to focus on, it really helped flesh out a vision of this time from lots of different angles. I'm really pleased to have a better depth of knowledge about this really fascinating and unprecedented time - one thing that occurs again and again is how much there wasn't an overarching plan! The execution of Charles I opened up a vacuum and invited people to imagine a new way of being and governing and it was really fascinating to see how different factions responded to it.
March 13, 2024
This is an enjoyable, easy to read introduction to the Interregnum, which is the period in English history between the execution of Charles 1 in 1649 and the restoration of Charles 2 in 1660. The first couple of chapters provide a quick review of the reign of Charles 1 and the Civil Wars. The remaining chapters carry us through the decade by focusing on one or another character. Chapters 3 and 4 feature Gerrard Winstanley, the utopian communist who led the Diggers and wrote widely read books articulating his vision of a propertyless society. The next few chapters feature The Countess of Derby, a courageous royalist who defended the Isle of Man. Others include the “prophetess” Anna Trapnel, the journalist Marchamont Nedham, the likable L’Estrange clan, and the scientist William Petty, who accomplished a complete surveyor’s map of Ireland in 13 months by breaking down the surveyor’s task into subtasks and training soldiers to perform them, anticipating Henry Ford. The final focusing character is General George Monck, who was ultimately the person most responsible for realizing the restoration. Of course the character of Oliver Cromwell is on almost every page but he’s not one of our focusing characters.
It’s a very well made book, intended for the general reader.
It’s a very well made book, intended for the general reader.
April 27, 2023
What a bloody brilliant book. Keay has managed to enthral me with an account of the Interregnum, a period which would normally not interest me in the slightest, with such an engaging and informative account of Britain’s dabble with republicanism.
Telling the story of this turbulent period through the stories of lesser known individuals, such as General Monck, Lady Derby and Marchamont Nedham, the republican period is cast in a new light and the motivations of key characters are brought to life.
In a narrative which spans multiple decades and all corners of the Three Kingdoms, Keay offers an absolutely outstanding account of this unique period in our history.
Telling the story of this turbulent period through the stories of lesser known individuals, such as General Monck, Lady Derby and Marchamont Nedham, the republican period is cast in a new light and the motivations of key characters are brought to life.
In a narrative which spans multiple decades and all corners of the Three Kingdoms, Keay offers an absolutely outstanding account of this unique period in our history.
July 23, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyable, I loved how the book uses the stories of a diverse cast of characters to bring to life a period of English history I knew nothing about. It was particularly enlightening about this period of Irish history which we in England are not taught in our schools.
I was left with both a regret that the republic never succeeded and a relief that military rule was short-lived. It is fascinating to consider how much of what was allowed to take root during the period, the colonies, science, a sensationalist press, and to some extent religious plurality lead to the rise of the British empire and ongoing nature of our democracy. Anna Keay has written a great book.
I was left with both a regret that the republic never succeeded and a relief that military rule was short-lived. It is fascinating to consider how much of what was allowed to take root during the period, the colonies, science, a sensationalist press, and to some extent religious plurality lead to the rise of the British empire and ongoing nature of our democracy. Anna Keay has written a great book.
February 11, 2023
This book explored part of history that I knew little about. The book commences with the downfall and subsequent execution of King Charles1 and follows society and government through to the rise of Charles2, albeit after a couple of abortive attemps to recover the English throne
The main body of the story explores the implementation of the "Committee of State" that rules England in the interim. It narrarates how the committee divides the country, helped eventually by the recently formed press, introduces laws about religon, tithes and land issue[theLevellers and Diggers]
Following the revolts and disputes we see the rise of Oliver Cromwell as the Protector and fall when England reverts to a monarchy.
The book is well written and researched[ there are extensive notes and a good bibliography]. Nevertheless the commentary is easy to read and is written in an easy yet entertaining manner. A knowledgable book from which I learnt a lot
The main body of the story explores the implementation of the "Committee of State" that rules England in the interim. It narrarates how the committee divides the country, helped eventually by the recently formed press, introduces laws about religon, tithes and land issue[theLevellers and Diggers]
Following the revolts and disputes we see the rise of Oliver Cromwell as the Protector and fall when England reverts to a monarchy.
The book is well written and researched[ there are extensive notes and a good bibliography]. Nevertheless the commentary is easy to read and is written in an easy yet entertaining manner. A knowledgable book from which I learnt a lot
June 28, 2023
Remarkable account of a remarkable period in British history. Traces in depth the lives of an array of colourful characters. It is uncanny how modern the events feel and how there are echoes of issues and peoples of today. The writing is always lucid and high enjoyable. A towering achievement.
October 23, 2023
I can’t believe all these people were real, that all this madness happened or that there was still a country left afterwards. Keay tells the most impenetrable bits of this history brilliantly, I loved it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 25, 2024
Paperback edition
This was chosen for my history online book club. Considering it is a well researched, serious work of non fiction, it was an easy read. The author joined the Zoom discussion and spoke like she writes - fluently and clearly. I look forward to her next book.
This was chosen for my history online book club. Considering it is a well researched, serious work of non fiction, it was an easy read. The author joined the Zoom discussion and spoke like she writes - fluently and clearly. I look forward to her next book.
January 19, 2024
Well written book on the history of this period. It gives life to the history through the personal experiences of the people who lived it. Well put together narrative and really engaging. Really worth a read if you don’t know much or just know enough but want to learn more.
February 19, 2024
Fascinating and amazingly researched with mixed perspectives from a range of people actively involved in the times.
October 20, 2023
I’m such a grandad but this book was great 🤌
February 7, 2024
I'm trying to think where my fascination with this period of British history began and I think it might stem from a trip to visit relatives in the UK when I was younger where we went and saw a historical re-enactor present about the English Civil War at my cousins' school. The re-enactor in question was dressed as a Cavalier and I thought the overall look, but especially the hat was pretty damn cool. (He also, once he found out we were American informed us that at least one battle of the English Civil War took place in Maryland, which is true.)
As I grew older, I think it was a combination of picking up random books on various UK trips (Cromwell, Our Chief of Men, King Charles II, and most recently, The Glorious Revolution) but I think I have to give credit to Mike Duncan's incredible Revolutions podcast that got me interested not just in expanding my own knowledge of the period, but trying to trace back what influence it may have had on the development of American democracy and the roots of our own Revolution which followed 1688 Glorious Revolution by about ninety years.
The Restless Republic was to be another piece of the puzzle, trying to answer that question about the roots of American democracy, but as I'm increasingly finding with this period, I think the influence the English Civil War had on the development of American democracy is hard to quantify.
But now the book: I think non-fiction must be damn hard to write, and historical non-fiction doubly so. I think it's a rare achievement when biographers and historians avoid the dreaded 'dry and dusty tome' trap but somehow manage to capture a specific period, help your reader deepen their understanding of the period- beyond the basic sketch of the historical events and make a compelling, readable book is an achievement. The fact that the thumbnail of this book specifically cites that it was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2022 and the Amazon page proclaims in very large font that it's The Sunday Times History Book of the Year 2022 and Winner of the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize for Non-Fiction there's a reason for all of it. Just looking at this book, there's hype and there's a very good reason for that, because it delivers.
I think what makes this book work is that Anna Keay doesn't just look at the view from the people at the heart of the Interregnum-- she looks at the 'regular folks' as well. So, although the book starts out with the Trial of the King (Charles I) and the man who presided over it (John Bradshaw), you start to find out that the decision to put the King on trial to begin with wasn't exactly a popular one and had not more radical elements of the army pruned out members of Parliament it didn't consider reliable (Pride's Purge), it's entirely possible that they wouldn't have put him on trial at all. In fact, one of the key players in the Civil War, Fairfax conspicuously absented himself from the Trial.
But then, you also get to learn about Winstanley and the Diggers. You get to see the nascent seeds of journalism emerge with Marchamont Needham. You get to meet Anna Trapnel and the Fifth Monarchists. You get to see two different portraits of Royalist resistance-- the first, Countess Derby and her defense of the Isle of Man and her subsequent drive to restore her family fortune after they surrender to the Commonwealth forces. In contrast, the L'Estrange Family out in Norfolk worked hard and sort of kept their heads down throughout- paying the extra taxes and working their way through the finances and sort of just doing their thing out in the country while waiting to see what the government would do.
(If there's one missing thing, it might be a chapter on The Levellers, but I'm going to keep digging on this period, so hopefully, I can fill in the gaps there.)
I think the most surprising thing about this book is learning that Britain's brief flirtation with Republicanism was brief indeed. You could argue that the Pride's Purge ushered in something akin to a military regime, given the fact that the Army exercised veto power over the decisions of Parliament, and while they took steps towards a Republic- abolishing the Monarchy, the Privy Council and the House of Lords. The Rump Parliament (as it was called) was eventually dismissed by Cromwell, which ushered in a period of military rule that, despite another short-lived attempt at a Parliament, eventually turned into the Protectorate.
So, really, if there was a chance at Republicanism really taking hold in Britain, the window was very short indeed, and in a deep irony for a cause that fought for the sovereignty of Parliament over that of the monarchy, was hampered by the fact that when the Army and Cromwell thought Parliament was about to do something they didn't like, they dismissed them. The ironies deepen when Cromwell becomes Lord Protector and essentially assumes a 'quasi-monarchical' role-- while avoiding a throne or a crown (which he refuses, to his credit?) he does have a chair and robes and a seal and a lot of the trappings of monarchy while the governing of the country as a whole is done through the Council of State and the Major-Generals of the Army.
The window closed on Republicanism pretty quickly to me when the Protectorate formed, The Commonwealth was more of a quasi-military regime whose claim to authority- given how quick they were to dismiss various Parliaments was murky at best.
The book takes a detour to Ireland and Henry Cromwell's attempts to restore something resembling common sense to the government there, as the victorious Commonwealth forces were setting up plans to forcibly transplant the defeated Irish to the far west of the country and redistribute their lands to soldiers of the army as reward/recompense. This leads to a strange intersection between politics and the burgeoning scientific revolution with William Perry conducting the first mass survey of Ireland and doing so using new and surprisingly efficient techniques. Henry Cromwell does settle Ireland down a bit- and I use that phrase extremely generously because of the Commonwealth's treatment of Ireland- whether it was Oliver Cromwell presiding over massacres at Drogheda and Wexford or their general treatment of the entire country as a place to be subjugated and brutalized for religious reasons sets the stage for quite literally everything else (and there's a lot) that followed. I'm sure there was ugly history before this, but there's a reason the Irish don't like the name Cromwell and Keay illustrates that they've got good reasons for that.
Signals that the Republican moment had passed become even clearer when Parliament tries to offer Oliver Cromwell the Crown itself. He refused the Crown, but took the rest of Parliament's legislation (regular Parliaments, taxation, etc) and then died the next year, passing the role of Protector to his son Richard, who was not at all prepared for it in the way Henry could have been.
Offering Cromwell the Crown was a big giant red flag and without military service, Richard had no control over the Army when the Army moved to supplant Parliament entirely, one man made a profound decision that changed history: General George Monck came down firmly against the idea of 'rule by the sword' and set himself against the Major Generals Regime. Astonishingly, a conflict that was about the primacy of Parliament led to a regime that treated Parliament as an afterthought if it didn't do what it was expected to do and that eventually someone was going to stand up and circle back around to the original point of all of this. Keay presented Monck as a man who played his cards very close to his chest, but once he made a decision, he was all in 'with enthusiasm.' And that served him quite well in the final crisis-- he got Fairfax out of retirement and soon was in London where the Rump Parliament demanded that he destroy the gates of the City of London (and sticking to his original position-- that soldiers received orders and act on them, he did so) but he turned the tables and demanded elections for a full Parliament and got them, knowing exactly what the Parliament was probably going to do: bring back Charles II from exile and restore the Monarchy.
And that's exactly what happened.
(Keay also notes that Monck is curiously uncelebrated for his role in fighting for Parliament's authority and when they needed a statue outside of Parliament, they went with Oliver Cromwell, which seems odd, given how Cromwell treated the institution.)
While the Declaration of Breda started things off with a note of reconciliation and Charles II was far more magnanimous than he could have been with opponents of his father's, a retrenchment of the old order was probably inevitable and soon the religious liberty that had flourished under the Commonwealth was curtailed again, but it was never entirely stamped out. The Republican Period (again, I don't know if you could call it that, given what happened in the Protectorate, but sure, we'll call it that) unleashed a lot of toothpaste from the proverbial tube and no Parliament or King was going to be able to get it all back together again. You could argue that the Interregnum and the Restoration changed Britain profoundly enough that it made the Glorious Revolution, which finally confirmed the primacy of Parliament once and for all.
Overall: This is a brilliant book and more than deserving of all the awards and hype that go along with it. Keay has crafted an amazing book that honestly, if you want a one-volume download on what happened when Charles I was beheaded and what led them to bring his son, Charles II back to the throne, this would be the best place to start. If you're like me and you're looking to expand your understanding of this period of history, this is a must-read volume. It's readable, it's comprehensive, it's just an amazing book. My Grade: **** out of ****
As I grew older, I think it was a combination of picking up random books on various UK trips (Cromwell, Our Chief of Men, King Charles II, and most recently, The Glorious Revolution) but I think I have to give credit to Mike Duncan's incredible Revolutions podcast that got me interested not just in expanding my own knowledge of the period, but trying to trace back what influence it may have had on the development of American democracy and the roots of our own Revolution which followed 1688 Glorious Revolution by about ninety years.
The Restless Republic was to be another piece of the puzzle, trying to answer that question about the roots of American democracy, but as I'm increasingly finding with this period, I think the influence the English Civil War had on the development of American democracy is hard to quantify.
But now the book: I think non-fiction must be damn hard to write, and historical non-fiction doubly so. I think it's a rare achievement when biographers and historians avoid the dreaded 'dry and dusty tome' trap but somehow manage to capture a specific period, help your reader deepen their understanding of the period- beyond the basic sketch of the historical events and make a compelling, readable book is an achievement. The fact that the thumbnail of this book specifically cites that it was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2022 and the Amazon page proclaims in very large font that it's The Sunday Times History Book of the Year 2022 and Winner of the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize for Non-Fiction there's a reason for all of it. Just looking at this book, there's hype and there's a very good reason for that, because it delivers.
I think what makes this book work is that Anna Keay doesn't just look at the view from the people at the heart of the Interregnum-- she looks at the 'regular folks' as well. So, although the book starts out with the Trial of the King (Charles I) and the man who presided over it (John Bradshaw), you start to find out that the decision to put the King on trial to begin with wasn't exactly a popular one and had not more radical elements of the army pruned out members of Parliament it didn't consider reliable (Pride's Purge), it's entirely possible that they wouldn't have put him on trial at all. In fact, one of the key players in the Civil War, Fairfax conspicuously absented himself from the Trial.
But then, you also get to learn about Winstanley and the Diggers. You get to see the nascent seeds of journalism emerge with Marchamont Needham. You get to meet Anna Trapnel and the Fifth Monarchists. You get to see two different portraits of Royalist resistance-- the first, Countess Derby and her defense of the Isle of Man and her subsequent drive to restore her family fortune after they surrender to the Commonwealth forces. In contrast, the L'Estrange Family out in Norfolk worked hard and sort of kept their heads down throughout- paying the extra taxes and working their way through the finances and sort of just doing their thing out in the country while waiting to see what the government would do.
(If there's one missing thing, it might be a chapter on The Levellers, but I'm going to keep digging on this period, so hopefully, I can fill in the gaps there.)
I think the most surprising thing about this book is learning that Britain's brief flirtation with Republicanism was brief indeed. You could argue that the Pride's Purge ushered in something akin to a military regime, given the fact that the Army exercised veto power over the decisions of Parliament, and while they took steps towards a Republic- abolishing the Monarchy, the Privy Council and the House of Lords. The Rump Parliament (as it was called) was eventually dismissed by Cromwell, which ushered in a period of military rule that, despite another short-lived attempt at a Parliament, eventually turned into the Protectorate.
So, really, if there was a chance at Republicanism really taking hold in Britain, the window was very short indeed, and in a deep irony for a cause that fought for the sovereignty of Parliament over that of the monarchy, was hampered by the fact that when the Army and Cromwell thought Parliament was about to do something they didn't like, they dismissed them. The ironies deepen when Cromwell becomes Lord Protector and essentially assumes a 'quasi-monarchical' role-- while avoiding a throne or a crown (which he refuses, to his credit?) he does have a chair and robes and a seal and a lot of the trappings of monarchy while the governing of the country as a whole is done through the Council of State and the Major-Generals of the Army.
The window closed on Republicanism pretty quickly to me when the Protectorate formed, The Commonwealth was more of a quasi-military regime whose claim to authority- given how quick they were to dismiss various Parliaments was murky at best.
The book takes a detour to Ireland and Henry Cromwell's attempts to restore something resembling common sense to the government there, as the victorious Commonwealth forces were setting up plans to forcibly transplant the defeated Irish to the far west of the country and redistribute their lands to soldiers of the army as reward/recompense. This leads to a strange intersection between politics and the burgeoning scientific revolution with William Perry conducting the first mass survey of Ireland and doing so using new and surprisingly efficient techniques. Henry Cromwell does settle Ireland down a bit- and I use that phrase extremely generously because of the Commonwealth's treatment of Ireland- whether it was Oliver Cromwell presiding over massacres at Drogheda and Wexford or their general treatment of the entire country as a place to be subjugated and brutalized for religious reasons sets the stage for quite literally everything else (and there's a lot) that followed. I'm sure there was ugly history before this, but there's a reason the Irish don't like the name Cromwell and Keay illustrates that they've got good reasons for that.
Signals that the Republican moment had passed become even clearer when Parliament tries to offer Oliver Cromwell the Crown itself. He refused the Crown, but took the rest of Parliament's legislation (regular Parliaments, taxation, etc) and then died the next year, passing the role of Protector to his son Richard, who was not at all prepared for it in the way Henry could have been.
Offering Cromwell the Crown was a big giant red flag and without military service, Richard had no control over the Army when the Army moved to supplant Parliament entirely, one man made a profound decision that changed history: General George Monck came down firmly against the idea of 'rule by the sword' and set himself against the Major Generals Regime. Astonishingly, a conflict that was about the primacy of Parliament led to a regime that treated Parliament as an afterthought if it didn't do what it was expected to do and that eventually someone was going to stand up and circle back around to the original point of all of this. Keay presented Monck as a man who played his cards very close to his chest, but once he made a decision, he was all in 'with enthusiasm.' And that served him quite well in the final crisis-- he got Fairfax out of retirement and soon was in London where the Rump Parliament demanded that he destroy the gates of the City of London (and sticking to his original position-- that soldiers received orders and act on them, he did so) but he turned the tables and demanded elections for a full Parliament and got them, knowing exactly what the Parliament was probably going to do: bring back Charles II from exile and restore the Monarchy.
And that's exactly what happened.
(Keay also notes that Monck is curiously uncelebrated for his role in fighting for Parliament's authority and when they needed a statue outside of Parliament, they went with Oliver Cromwell, which seems odd, given how Cromwell treated the institution.)
While the Declaration of Breda started things off with a note of reconciliation and Charles II was far more magnanimous than he could have been with opponents of his father's, a retrenchment of the old order was probably inevitable and soon the religious liberty that had flourished under the Commonwealth was curtailed again, but it was never entirely stamped out. The Republican Period (again, I don't know if you could call it that, given what happened in the Protectorate, but sure, we'll call it that) unleashed a lot of toothpaste from the proverbial tube and no Parliament or King was going to be able to get it all back together again. You could argue that the Interregnum and the Restoration changed Britain profoundly enough that it made the Glorious Revolution, which finally confirmed the primacy of Parliament once and for all.
Overall: This is a brilliant book and more than deserving of all the awards and hype that go along with it. Keay has crafted an amazing book that honestly, if you want a one-volume download on what happened when Charles I was beheaded and what led them to bring his son, Charles II back to the throne, this would be the best place to start. If you're like me and you're looking to expand your understanding of this period of history, this is a must-read volume. It's readable, it's comprehensive, it's just an amazing book. My Grade: **** out of ****
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews