The English Civil War : At First Hand

by Tristram Hunt

very good shape some highlighting

Genres: History, Nonfiction, English Civil War, 17th Century, War, Historical, Military History

290 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2002

About the author

Tristram Hunt is the author of Marx’s General: The Revolutionary Life of Friedrich Engels and Building Jerusalem: The Rise and Fall of the Victorian City. One of Britain’s leading young historians, he writes regularly for The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times, and has broadcast numerous series for the BBC. A lecturer in history at the University of London, Hunt represents Stoke-on-Trent in the British Parliament, where he serves as the education spokesman for the Labour Party.

Reviews

[Matthew Devereux ∞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is often argued that the British weather, which is quite moderate and doesn't tend towards too much in the way of extremes, is a key cause of the fact that we haven't had much in the way of revolutions or political upheavals and have a tendency towards political moderation - while the continent of Europe oscillated between the left and right extremes of Fascism and Communism particularly after the Great Depression, for example, we maintained a reasonably well-regulated democracy. But boy, in the 17th century did we have an upheaval with the English Civil War (which in my books should be called the British Civil War since it also involved Scotland, Wales and Ireland as well as England). I think Christopher Hill saw it as a revolution rather than a civil war - a bourgeois one in his view, rather than a proletarian one (given his Marxist Weltanschauung). Things got really nutty under the reign of Charles I, whose excesses and tyrannical approach led to a war between Parliament and the King, resulting in Charles's execution and the creation, eventually, of a Republican Protectorate under Cromwell. This book was a nice exposition of the period with a whole omnishambles of primary documents and secondary sources and a large number of illustrations, contemporaneous and later, to augment the prose. It even looks at the kind of radicalism of groups such as the Diggers and Levellers who really riled up Cromwell as being beyond the pale in terms of radicalism but were nonetheless unleashed by the general collapse in authority of the King's ruling system. It ends with a brief description of the Restoration of the monarchy with Charles II in 1660. An enjoyable version of the period and the primary sources bring the stories of the period to light.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, showing letters, court documents and personal accounts of the Civil War which saw King Charles I lose his head. Not overly detailed, aside from the personal accounts, but an interesting addition to any study of the Civil War.

[John Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very important period of our history which I've never felt fully to get to grips with. This certainly helped. Tristram Hunt's brilliant selections of contemporary accounts lovingly stitched together with his incisive and very readable commentary made this hard to put down.

This traces the origins and development of a bitter civil war which killed more of our people than the First World War. It featured a foolish king whose most successful role was as a Christian martyr.

So many forces fighting for the nation's heart and soul: The Divine Right of Kings v the various forms of Republicanism from repression to the most extreme forms of anarchy with a few bizarre religious practices thrown in. Both Charles' version of monarchy and the proletarian anarchists were ultimately defeated by the authoritarian regime of Cromwell, a mixture of repression and toleration(unless you happened to be CofE!).

The bleakly grey years of Cromwell, king in all but name, paved the way for the Restoration and the advent of the Merry Monarch.

[Alex Macd · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of block quotes masquerading as a book.

[Nabila Roukhamieh-Mckinna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly helpful resource full of beautiful primary source extracts. I thought the presentist moral judgements, though subtle and occasional, were inappropriate for a book of this nature. I was aggravated throughout by the absence of both footnotes and endnotes such that the reader has to match the quotation to the primary source - not too difficult to do but frustrating that it’s necessary.

[Roger Wilsher · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting angle on a constantly fascinating conflict. As has been said elsewhere “the life-writing that seems most directly written out of life – diaries, letters, journals, notes – possesses a concentrated truth, a special power: the power of the present tense. They speak to us through time because the moment of their making is handed to us, as if frozen in the glass ball of a snow globe.”

[Philip Horspool · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was happy when I saw someone had bought me this as it's a period of English history I'm less familiar with than others. I think it does what it says on the can, neatly weaving together personal accounts with author narrative. There were times when I thought there was too much of the former - chunks of stuff copied out of diaries etc but it meets my criteria for a decent historical account. I learnt some facts (and figures), I got a sense of what that period must have been like, some opinion thrown in and it left me with questions unanswered and a sense of the complexity if the war. As the saying goes ' Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely '.

[Thomas Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a brilliant read! The entire book is based on primary sources from the civil war period so it is full of 17th century character, wit and horror. Well worth a quick read if you want a very basic overview of the period from the eyes of those who lived it.

[Emily Boycott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book to help with my dissertation, and I'm glad I did. A pleasant read, with lots of good information in it. Great for fans of history.

[Clive Bevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise history of the Civil War focusing on the people involved, I found this a good introduction to the subject.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love it although there are some very interesting a accounts. I suppose I wanted more on the military campaigns.

[George Foord · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for a broad overview of the civil war. Enjoyed the layout throughout.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

perfect for a plane ride back from england

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

royalist noncery

[Pete daPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The English Civil War-At First Hand-The conflict that divided a nation, through the voices of those who were there.' In this books title is the only point at which I hold a criticism. The civil war was a convulsion that erupted not just in England, but involved Scotland and Ireland too.
For any reader drawn to the complexities of this period, Tristram Hunt's work is highly recommended.
Throughout, Hunt's expert and clear narrative is enriched with the authentic voices from the seventeenth century. The letters and speeches of Charles Stuart, parliamentarians, officers and soldiers of the various factions, religious tracts, broadsheet writings, diarists, poems and songs all serve to bring life and meaning to this 'world turned upside down.'
It is easy to look back some three hundred and fifty years, with twenty first century hindsight, and judge monarchy and commons as extreme. Also to view the explosion of religious sects as deluded, crazy folk. I did relate and concur with the thoughts of Leveller Colonel Thomas Rainsborough in the Putney Debates, who's views took a further two hundred years to become law.
All in all a very interesting and informative account of a brutal time, that gave birth to political, social and religious freedoms. Yet also some scars that have still not been healed.

[Barton Young]

I wanted to read a book about The English Civil War and knew next to nothing about the topic. I was going to ead The English Civil War: A people's History but went with this as it was thinner and was composed of more first-hand evidence.

This wasn't the best book to read as someone coming new to the subject. It told the facts simply which I did want but there's hardly any authorial interpretation of events and there's just too much first-hand evidence telling the story. I know taht's the book's raison d'etre but by the end of the book, which became quite a chore, I felt I'd read lots of long documentary extracts very simply sewn together.

So now I have an introductory knowledge of what happened. Where should I go next?

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating to read the eye witness accounts of events and contemporary views of participants and observers from both sides in the conflict. The author's joining narrative made it easy to follow the chronology of a complicated time but sometimes failed to provide an objective, evidence based analysis of an emotive subject.
I found myself resenting Hunt's obvious bias towards the King's cause which for me crossed the boundary away from a strictly historical treatment of the subject matter.
A good read and because so much of the book is quoting primary sources it deserves to be included in a bibliography of Civil War literature but do balance it with other books which are easily identified from the extensive bibliography.

[Lindsey Ilsley · Rating 2 out of 5]

snippets of as useful a selection of information you'll find anywhere but little in the way of original analysis or new interest. The introduction makes broad sweeping claims and assumptions that plague any popular writing on the period which are tiresome for any academic to see continually reprinted. This slender book may provide an interesting start point for any newly intrigued reader drawn to the c.17th but for those with an existing research interest in the era it may prove of little worth.

[Johanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book to supplement other reading on the civil war, I think in order to get the most from this you need to have a reasonable grasp of the actions and drivers of events. It does have helpful chronologies but its focus is on the material produced by both sides. There were copious quantities of printed material circulated by both sides, some of which is is illuminating, some entertaining and all of it is informative.

[Stevie Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I'd got past the rather dull political commentary of the early extracts, I couldn't put this one down. Lots of real people sending each other letters with explanatory text in between that really brought them all to life. Admittedly I've always had a thing for the English Civil War, and I'm reading up on it at the moment, but I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in social history.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

'At First Hand' written by politician and Historian Tristram Hunt is an interesting read. Hunt has a joy in this subject and it connects with the reader in this well written Book. I learnt a lot and not only did Mr Hunt talk about this topic in depth but he inspires you to research more. I would recommend this book to anyone who is clueless about the topic as well as anyone who is an expert.

[Morleymor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable reminder of the complicated picture that led to the English Civil War. Neither the King or Cromwell show themselves to be fit to rule. I guess that to get to where we are today, this barbarism has to happen?

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book to be somewhat interesting, though I would have liked to have more information on the involvement of Wales, Scotland and Ireland during the Civil War. I also wonder what happened with the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as part of my revision for Restoration literature.
This non-fiction book is well written and heavily sourced, allowing for an in depth understanding of the Civil War. I'm sure it'll come in handy during my exam!

[John Kerridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not really enjoy this book. It felt like one of them classroom books of my childhood.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exellent introduction to The Civil War. Easy to read and especially enjoyable are the views of thosr who experienced the struggle firsthand.