Pen & Sword’s list of books on the English Civil War makes a substantial contribution to historical writing on the subject. The range of the list is wide, from scholarly studies of the decisive battles and descriptions of the armies involved to the assessments of the leading commanders and highly illustrated battlefield guides.
The books cater for English Civil War enthusiasts and re-enactors and for newcomers to this fascinating era of military history. Any reader who is keen to broaden his or her understanding of this tumultuous phase of British history will gain a critical insight through the variety of books we publish on the subject.
The Anarchy is a period of history rarely described in any detail, or at least as far as I know, so I found this book a very welcome addition to my limited library about the time. Well-written, with every effort made to make clear who all the people are (so many of them had the same name!), right down to including potted biographies in a valuable appendix, ‘Who Was Who in the Anarchy’. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book.
Ripperologist, February/March 2018 – reviewed by Paul Begg
The Anarchy is a period of history rarely described in any detail, or at least as far as I know, so I found this book a very welcome addition to my limited library about the time. Well-written, with every effort made to make clear who all the people are (so many of them had the same name!), right down to including potted biographies in a valuable appendix, ‘Who Was Who in the Anarchy’. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book.
Ripperologist, February/March 2018 – reviewed by Paul Begg
Author interview as featured in
History of Royals, November 2017
Author interview as featured in
History of Royals, November 2017
Beckett's book is, as he says early on, based upon his notes for the Civil War Exhibition at Bucks County Museum in 2004-5 and this accounts, in part, for the somewhat eclectic coverage of some aspects of the period in this book. There were no major military actions within the County during the 1640s and 1650s but this book is very much about 'A County at War', which could well have been its subtitle. As you might guess from the above opening lines I found some aspects of the book frustratingly light on detail - in that I wanted more - but I accept that there is only so much that you can get into a book like this without turning it into a detailed, but almost unreadable, study. To be fair the same criticism could be laid at so many other County Histories and within its 200 pages Becket does give an excellent account of both the war within, and the effect of the war upon, Buckinghamshire - this is a book about the County during the War and successfully misses falling into the trap of simply.. Read more
Amazon Reviewer
Beckett's book is, as he says early on, based upon his notes for the Civil War Exhibition at Bucks County Museum in 2004-5 and this accounts, in part, for the somewhat eclectic coverage of some aspects of the period in this book. There were no major military actions within the County during the 1640s and 1650s but this book is very much about 'A County at War', which could well have been its subtitle. As you might guess from the above opening lines I found some aspects of the book frustratingly light on detail - in that I wanted more - but I accept that there is only so much that you can get into a book like this without turning it into a detailed, but almost unreadable, study. To be fair the same criticism could be laid at so many other County Histories and within its 200 pages Becket does give an excellent account of both the war within, and the effect of the war upon, Buckinghamshire - this is a book about the County during the War and successfully misses falling into the trap of simply.. Read more
Amazon Reviewer
An interesting discussion and a useful complement to other studies of the English Civil War.
Military History Monthly
An interesting discussion and a useful complement to other studies of the English Civil War.
Military History Monthly
The author's findings correct many of the misconceptions about British infantry firepower in the age of the musket and linear warfare. A useful and fine contribution to the understanding of an important period of British military history.
Military Modelling Magazine
The author's findings correct many of the misconceptions about British infantry firepower in the age of the musket and linear warfare. A useful and fine contribution to the understanding of an important period of British military history.
Military Modelling Magazine
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An Alternative History of Britain: The English Civil War
With hindsight, the victory of Parliamentarian forces over the Royalists in the English Civil War may seem inevitable but this outcome was not a foregone conclusion. Timothy Venning explores many of the turning points and discusses how they might so easily have played out differently. What if, for example, Charles I had capitalized on his victory at… Read more...
In 1643 and again in 1644 the forces of King Charles I and Parliament clashed at Newbury in a bloody fight. Each time the fate of the country hung in the balance. Chris Scott retells the story of these two complex and exciting pitched battles and provides a fascinating guided tour of the surviving battlefields. By skilful use of detailed maps and other… Read more...
This new study of a key battle of the Civil Wars re-examines one of England's most mysterious battlefields at Edgehill, and combines the work of three outstanding military historians. Each is an expert in the areas of battlefield interpretation, military equipment and organization, and battle casualties and care. Their unique blend of knowledge gives… Read more...
Edgehill: The Battle Reinterpreted (Second Edition)
This paperback edition of this seminal new study of a key battle of the Civil Wars re-examines one of England's most mysterious battlefields at Edgehill, and it combines the work of three outstanding military historians. Each is an expert in the areas of battlefield interpretation, military equipment and organization, and battle casualties and care.… Read more...
