Ackroyd, Peter "Civil War"

Ackroyd, Peter "The History of England, Vol. 3 Civil War" - 2014

After "The History of England, Vol. 1 Foundation" and "The History of England, Vol. 2 Tudors", this is Peter Ackroyd's third voyage into the history of England, their kings and queens, their troubles and wars, their marriages and children, everything you always wanted to know that is behind those numbers like 1642–1651 when the English civil war took place.

He talks to us about the Stuart Kings, starting with James I all through to his grandson James II. I must admit, I did not know half as much about this part of the English history as I did about the Tudors, they are just not as flamboyant. But I learned a little about both the Stuarts as well as the interregnum and why the British all think Prince Charles might take on another name when he accedes to the throne.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series:
Revolution: The History of England from the Battle of the Boyne to the Battle of Waterloo (The History of England #4)

There is only one thing I really missed and that was a list at the back about who became king when and who was the son of whom etc., you know, those nice little family trees you often find in these kinds of books. I am one of those readers who always wants more information and wants to check this and that. So, I had to always look up my list elsewhere. Maybe a little hint for the future.

Other than that, if you are only remotely interested in history, Peter Ackroyd is an author to read. He always includes so much information, it's such a pleasure to go through his books.

From the back cover:

"In Civil War, Peter Ackroyd continues his dazzling retelling of England's history, painting a vivid portrait of the Stuart kings, from the accession of James I to the ignominious exile of his grandson James II. In it, Ackroyd lays before us the turbulent seventeenth century, most especially the civil war which led to the killing of the hapless Charles I and the despotic reign of England's only dictator, Oliver Cromwell.

But here, too, is the cultural and social life of the period, notable for its extraordinarily rich literature, including Shakespeare's late masterpieces, Jacobean tragedy, the poetry of John Donne and Milton and Thomas Hobbes' great philosophical treatise, Leviathan. Above all, Ackroyd gives us a very real sense of ordinary English men and women, living their lives against a backdrop of constant disruption and uncertainty."