Trew Plot

by Michael Fitzalan

We all know the story of Guy Fawkes who wanted to blow up parliament. The very people who were going to replace James would be present at the opening. How did he think he would get away with it? It does not make sense unless it was a story. Now, finally, you can read about the real plot, the plot to destroy the Catholic nobility hatched by Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury. Behind the scenes, he directed and manipulated the cast in his play. Catesby, the supposed ringleader, had embraced Anglicanism, bringing his children up in the Church of England, yet he is portrayed as the zealous leader of the plot. Guy Fawkes was simply a night-watchman guarding barrels. James I feared being stabbed or blown up; Cecil ran an efficient spy network; and he was able to play on James's fears. Read the true story that relies on facts. For far too long we have meekly accepted the propaganda of the age and ignored the flimsiness of those contrived coincidences that gave Cecil's outrageous plot credence.

424 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2013