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Oliver Cromwell: England's Protector
The acclaimed Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England's rulers - now in paperback
Although he styled himself 'His Highness', adopted the court ritual of his royal predecessors, and lived in the former royal palaces of Whitehall and Hampton Court, Oliver Cromwell was not a king - in spite of the best efforts of his supporters to crown him.
Yet, as David Horspool shows in this illuminating new portrait of England's Lord Protector, Cromwell, the Puritan son of Cambridgeshire gentry, wielded such influence that it would be a pretence to say that power really lay with the collective. The years of Cromwell's rise to power, shaped by a decade-long civil war, saw a sustained attempt at the collective government of England; the first attempts at a real Union of Britain; the beginnings of empire; a radically new solution to the idea of a national religion; atrocities in Ireland; and the readmission to England of the Jews, a people officially banned for over three and a half centuries. At the end of it, Oliver Cromwell had emerged as the country's sole ruler: to his enemies, and probably to most of his countrymen, his legacy looked as likely to last as that of the Stuart dynasty he had replaced.
Although he styled himself 'His Highness', adopted the court ritual of his royal predecessors, and lived in the former royal palaces of Whitehall and Hampton Court, Oliver Cromwell was not a king - in spite of the best efforts of his supporters to crown him.
Yet, as David Horspool shows in this illuminating new portrait of England's Lord Protector, Cromwell, the Puritan son of Cambridgeshire gentry, wielded such influence that it would be a pretence to say that power really lay with the collective. The years of Cromwell's rise to power, shaped by a decade-long civil war, saw a sustained attempt at the collective government of England; the first attempts at a real Union of Britain; the beginnings of empire; a radically new solution to the idea of a national religion; atrocities in Ireland; and the readmission to England of the Jews, a people officially banned for over three and a half centuries. At the end of it, Oliver Cromwell had emerged as the country's sole ruler: to his enemies, and probably to most of his countrymen, his legacy looked as likely to last as that of the Stuart dynasty he had replaced.
132 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2019
17 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
David Horspool
9 books6 followersDavid Horspool is a British historian and journalist. A graduate of Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, he writes for the Times Literary Supplement, the Sunday Times, The Guardian, Telegraph, and the New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 5, 2022
To mark Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee, I ignored it as much as possible and read a book about Oliver Cromwell. (Living in Scotland made avoidance of flags and parties mercifully easy; I also logged off twitter and didn't read any news.) Oliver Cromwell: England's Protector is part of a Penguin series about England's monarchs and Cromwell is the only non-monarch in the 45 volumes. His protectorate was England's sole experiment with not having a king or queen and it fascinates me. This brief book deals largely with Cromwell's ascent to power, leaving limited space for his years as Lord Protector. Given the theme of the series, David Horspool returns several times to the similarities and differences between Cromwell's role and that of a king. I was particularly struck by this comment:
I'd forgotten, if I ever knew, the extent to which the trial and execution of Charles I was a last resort:
Interesting parallels could be drawn with Louis XVI of France some hundred and fifty years later. It's also notable that Cromwell made little to no preparation for his succession, rapidly resulting in the Restoration after his death. Had a suitable successor Lord Protector been prepared, or arrangements created for choosing one, British history could have been quite different. On a more trivial note, I love the ominous Puritan names given to things during the Civil War period: the Act of Oblivion and Decimation Tax are particularly piquant. And of course there's Praisegod Barebone, whose name is so great that a parliament borrowed it. Overall, this book reminded me of a particularly interesting period of British history and whetted my appetite for a more detailed biography of Oliver Cromwell. It was ideal jubilee reading.
The issue of the prosecution of the war was a wider one for parliament than the dispute between two of its commanders. But it would become typical of Oliver that his personal troubles became inextricable from the nation's, and that the solution to them was a change in national policy, rather than a mere alteration in individual circumstances. This link between one man's personality and the direction of the nation is one with which we are familiar when dealing with monarchs, and occasionally with great nobles. Cromwell is the first commoner to have made the same connection. What people call greatness can often be found to lie in the extent to which a person can involve others in the drama of their lives, and persuade the public of the importance for them of the fortunes of one individual. By that measure, Oliver Cromwell was beginning to be a great man.
I'd forgotten, if I ever knew, the extent to which the trial and execution of Charles I was a last resort:
Although Cromwell had run out of patience with Charles - 'this man, against whom the Lord hath witnessed' - he stopped short, unlike his son-in-law Henry Ireton, of the conclusion that this must mean the king's death.
He continued to look for a different solution to the problem, including offering the king a chance to stay on the throne as little more than a figurehead, or to abdicate, both of which Charles rejected. Cromwell may have expected Charles to do so, but this does not mean that the offer was purely cosmetic: plenty of his comrades had no such qualms.
Interesting parallels could be drawn with Louis XVI of France some hundred and fifty years later. It's also notable that Cromwell made little to no preparation for his succession, rapidly resulting in the Restoration after his death. Had a suitable successor Lord Protector been prepared, or arrangements created for choosing one, British history could have been quite different. On a more trivial note, I love the ominous Puritan names given to things during the Civil War period: the Act of Oblivion and Decimation Tax are particularly piquant. And of course there's Praisegod Barebone, whose name is so great that a parliament borrowed it. Overall, this book reminded me of a particularly interesting period of British history and whetted my appetite for a more detailed biography of Oliver Cromwell. It was ideal jubilee reading.
April 6, 2018
Cromwell probably would not have approved of being included in the Penguin Monarchs series but this volumes provides an account of English Civil Wars from the opposite side of the book on Charles I and summarizes the events of the Interregnum. Horspool presents Cromwell as a deeply pious man who was nevertheless willing to act ruthlessly to further his own goals. The section about the Protectorate is confined to a single chapter and I would have liked more details about Cromwell's infamous military activities in Ireland. There is very little in the book about Cromwell's relationship with his wife and children except that he had an apparently harmonious marriage with his "dearest wife" Elizabeth for nearly forty years and his son Richard was not trained as a successor and was unable to remain in power after his father's death.
September 1, 2019
Cromwell is someone I don't know too much about other than the famous facts. This was as an interesting read but as I could not warm to him as a figure from History (after all, you can't like them all) this became a book I was reading to improve knowledge rather than because I was enjoying every page. However, these Penguin Monarchs (in brackets in Cromwell's case) are excellent for topping up your knowledge.
March 31, 2019
David Horspool has produced a book on Cromwell that is a Lord Protector of clarity. The Penguin Monarchs series sets the writer the deliberate challenge of writing short, pithy books on, sometimes complex events which square the narrative circle of restricting time and pages to explain everything.
Horspool, manages to touch on most things whilst setting up a number of points to run with. Thus we start with the wonderful apocryphal stories that see a young child version of Cromwell possibly playing (soldiers??) with visiting royalty (Charles) in the only local house that could accommodate such an esteemed visitor. Horspool makes much of Cromwells slow rise to significance, as a local nobody who may have tried to call a relative a lunatic and be his keeper to inherit the estate and who somewhat conveniently found himself an MP in the parliaments of the 1640s. He was an organiser; a backroom man; no great stirring speaker- late to military prowess as well but confident in his puritan faith and determined to undercut the presbyterian influence in his dealings with all and sundry. His faith was not part of his life- it was his life as Horspool sees it.
He was also conveniently absent (Horsepool makes no definite judgement and seems as hedging his bets as his subject) - when Cornet Joyce takes Charles captive and on several other occasions when he may have been the prime mover of such events- hints of great great great uncle Thomas Cromwell here.
The Civil war (that vast historiographical battlefield) is briefly described, as is Cromwells dealings with Levellers and the king himself (though Charles is a very shadowy figure in this text).
Ireland is skated over - Cromwell only went when the odds were finally in his favour- and massacres were in context with the times if ruthless and unforgiving.
The Republic and commonwealth are briefly dealt with as Cromwell finds parliaments equally frustrating and moves to military rule and then (almost) kingship.
Cromwells success was rooted specifically in the loyalty he gained from the army ( he believed in promoting on merit) and in his faith.Family life- wives and children are cursorily dealt with (nine children were sired in this time). Foreign policy and domestic achievements are only briefly accounted for but we get a sense of a janus faced man- complex but simple in belief- a man who probably accepted the inevitability of the return of Stuart Monarchy and failed, due to a premature death to secure his legacy.
There are many gaps, but Horspool provides a judicious and well selected bibliography with fine works by Ian Gentles, Peter Gaunt and Christopher Hill being in the fore. He notes himself that no full length biography has been attempted since Antonia Frasers' in the 1970s. Monographs and part works have done the job. He could do worse than attempt one himself.
Horspool, manages to touch on most things whilst setting up a number of points to run with. Thus we start with the wonderful apocryphal stories that see a young child version of Cromwell possibly playing (soldiers??) with visiting royalty (Charles) in the only local house that could accommodate such an esteemed visitor. Horspool makes much of Cromwells slow rise to significance, as a local nobody who may have tried to call a relative a lunatic and be his keeper to inherit the estate and who somewhat conveniently found himself an MP in the parliaments of the 1640s. He was an organiser; a backroom man; no great stirring speaker- late to military prowess as well but confident in his puritan faith and determined to undercut the presbyterian influence in his dealings with all and sundry. His faith was not part of his life- it was his life as Horspool sees it.
He was also conveniently absent (Horsepool makes no definite judgement and seems as hedging his bets as his subject) - when Cornet Joyce takes Charles captive and on several other occasions when he may have been the prime mover of such events- hints of great great great uncle Thomas Cromwell here.
The Civil war (that vast historiographical battlefield) is briefly described, as is Cromwells dealings with Levellers and the king himself (though Charles is a very shadowy figure in this text).
Ireland is skated over - Cromwell only went when the odds were finally in his favour- and massacres were in context with the times if ruthless and unforgiving.
The Republic and commonwealth are briefly dealt with as Cromwell finds parliaments equally frustrating and moves to military rule and then (almost) kingship.
Cromwells success was rooted specifically in the loyalty he gained from the army ( he believed in promoting on merit) and in his faith.Family life- wives and children are cursorily dealt with (nine children were sired in this time). Foreign policy and domestic achievements are only briefly accounted for but we get a sense of a janus faced man- complex but simple in belief- a man who probably accepted the inevitability of the return of Stuart Monarchy and failed, due to a premature death to secure his legacy.
There are many gaps, but Horspool provides a judicious and well selected bibliography with fine works by Ian Gentles, Peter Gaunt and Christopher Hill being in the fore. He notes himself that no full length biography has been attempted since Antonia Frasers' in the 1970s. Monographs and part works have done the job. He could do worse than attempt one himself.
April 20, 2018
Pretty good coverage of Cromwell's life and "reign." I am always amazed that the British have never gotten to realize the monarchy is not a good form of government. It was too bad Cromwell had to die so soon after he rejected being made a king. When the U.S. was born it never entered our heads for an instant that we were going to have a king and attendant royalty, but the British naturally assumed we were going to make Washington a king.
The British now keep a symbolic monarchy as a tribute to their history, which is the last thing in the world a sensible country would do. Monarchy brought them nothing but horrors for thousands of years, but now they remain the last significant country on earth retaining this ridiculous practice.
Even if now it is just a make-believe symbolic monarchy.
The British now keep a symbolic monarchy as a tribute to their history, which is the last thing in the world a sensible country would do. Monarchy brought them nothing but horrors for thousands of years, but now they remain the last significant country on earth retaining this ridiculous practice.
Even if now it is just a make-believe symbolic monarchy.
May 20, 2018
We need the spirit of Cromwell today !
A thorough and very readable short biography. Balanced, fair, and wise. Recommended. It also causes one to reflect on how much we need passionate and principled "leaders with a capital L" in modern Britain where supine, robotic, dimwits can be PM !
A thorough and very readable short biography. Balanced, fair, and wise. Recommended. It also causes one to reflect on how much we need passionate and principled "leaders with a capital L" in modern Britain where supine, robotic, dimwits can be PM !
December 17, 2020
This doesn't really achieve anything, it's not an exhaustive account of Cromwell's life, it's not a critical essay of the English Civil War or its Puritan regime, it's not even an introductory book. 2020's only purchase I regret.
February 12, 2021
I don't think I would have benefit as much from looking at the Kindle edition of this book, since I had written a couple of definitions near where Horspool used the term, such as for inexorable, Machiavellian or effigy.
Strategically, it was better for me just to order my own copy.
Beforehand, I had been trying to recommend this book through the Free Library of Philadelphia but I had been having trouble for some reason - see, I asked for it since I wanted to read it. I am a regular patron...
It ended up being easier to bite the bullet, give up and order a copy for own upstairs bookshelf. I thought the FLP would oblige since they'd gotten a bunch of other foreign language literature to me before, such as in Russian and in Chinese. Oh well. British English does not count as different from American English.
Anyway, I heard through the grapevine that this was the best history of Oliver Cromwell from a source I both trust and value. And so, once I got my copy, I dusted off my history spectacles and opened up to the genealogical table! That looks almost exactly like every other one I have ever seen, with the names moved around a little bit.
Pax Quaeritur Bello was the motto on his burial plaque. (Peace is sought by war.) So I just kept calm and carried on since that is always what I have found from everything I have ever looked at when I researched globally what other people were doing. There is nothing to be concerned about, even if I hear about a problem a couple hundred miles south of here.
Strategically, it was better for me just to order my own copy.
Beforehand, I had been trying to recommend this book through the Free Library of Philadelphia but I had been having trouble for some reason - see, I asked for it since I wanted to read it. I am a regular patron...
It ended up being easier to bite the bullet, give up and order a copy for own upstairs bookshelf. I thought the FLP would oblige since they'd gotten a bunch of other foreign language literature to me before, such as in Russian and in Chinese. Oh well. British English does not count as different from American English.
Anyway, I heard through the grapevine that this was the best history of Oliver Cromwell from a source I both trust and value. And so, once I got my copy, I dusted off my history spectacles and opened up to the genealogical table! That looks almost exactly like every other one I have ever seen, with the names moved around a little bit.
Pax Quaeritur Bello was the motto on his burial plaque. (Peace is sought by war.) So I just kept calm and carried on since that is always what I have found from everything I have ever looked at when I researched globally what other people were doing. There is nothing to be concerned about, even if I hear about a problem a couple hundred miles south of here.
August 20, 2018
David Horspool was the history editor of the Times Literary Supplement, and is the author of a number of excellent books on English history and some of their kings. This well-written, concise and insightful, historical biography is well worth reading. The lessons in leadership and the use and abuse of power are studies everyone can profit from understanding This book by Horspool, is one in the outstanding Penguin Monarchs series. Cromwell is a controversial figure, and always has been, in English history. His rise as a force in Parliament and his subsequent success as a military commander during the English Revolution, propelled him to become the acknowledged leader of the turbulent times that saw Charles the 1st beheaded, the creation of a Commonwealth under Cromwell, and then, the restoration of a Monarchy under Charles the 2nd. As David Horspool illuminates so clearly, Cromwell's legacy can be as difficult to locate as his physical remains. What is clear in reading this excellent biography, is that Cromwell consistently displayed an urge to improve the religious lives and those of less fortunate individuals living under the English Monarchy form of government. In the world of 2018, Cromwell's zealousness for change is becoming much more prevalent as a political way of thinking. This fine biography opens the doors and windows to a way of looking and thinking about change that can be very valuable and important to all of us going forward in the 21st century.
September 17, 2024
Wow. A man who lived a complex life.
From humble beginnings as a farmer, to a statesman and a military commander and then quasi-king titled as Lord Protectorate, only to be posthumously beheaded, and finally have his regime shift back to a monarchy after his son's rule.
Influenced by Puritan Christianity, massacred the Irish during the rebellion, involved in England's civil war, responsible for being one of the 59 signatories for the death warrant of King Charles. A deeply religious man, deeply hateful and suspicious of Catholicism, which he called popery. Strangely nonsectarian towards other Protestant sects. Refused the status of Kingship multiple times, despite the insistence of Parliament to accept. At times his motives appear ambiguous, his methods though in Parliament and on the battlefield were both highly effective. An inspirational leader, but at times like a dictator, a man that was resented and opposed by some but loved and adored by others. Very hard to sum up his life in a simple manner, he was not a simple man.
From humble beginnings as a farmer, to a statesman and a military commander and then quasi-king titled as Lord Protectorate, only to be posthumously beheaded, and finally have his regime shift back to a monarchy after his son's rule.
Influenced by Puritan Christianity, massacred the Irish during the rebellion, involved in England's civil war, responsible for being one of the 59 signatories for the death warrant of King Charles. A deeply religious man, deeply hateful and suspicious of Catholicism, which he called popery. Strangely nonsectarian towards other Protestant sects. Refused the status of Kingship multiple times, despite the insistence of Parliament to accept. At times his motives appear ambiguous, his methods though in Parliament and on the battlefield were both highly effective. An inspirational leader, but at times like a dictator, a man that was resented and opposed by some but loved and adored by others. Very hard to sum up his life in a simple manner, he was not a simple man.
June 9, 2017
If like me your view of Cromwell has been formed by the Movies (especially the 1970 Biopic "Cromwell" starring Richard Harris) then this book provides a brief but good overview of a very different kind of man.
A complex man - who wasn't driven by our modern perceptions of democracy - but driven rather by religion and what was perceived at the time as to how a good King should behave.
A good read.
A complex man - who wasn't driven by our modern perceptions of democracy - but driven rather by religion and what was perceived at the time as to how a good King should behave.
A good read.
July 8, 2018
Oliver Cromwell. His name conjures different images depending upon your own political and religious bias. I read this brief overview of this intriguing man to try and build an idea of the man, both military and religious. It has done exactly what I required before I delve into larger tomes about this fascinating man.
May 10, 2022
3.5/10
Interesting book on the life of Oliver Cromwell. His rise to power as a parliamentarian and then as leader of the new model army and then eventually lord protector. I had very basic knowledge on him beforehand and this book provided me with an important yet basic look at how he operated and what he did to overthrow the monarchy.
Interesting book on the life of Oliver Cromwell. His rise to power as a parliamentarian and then as leader of the new model army and then eventually lord protector. I had very basic knowledge on him beforehand and this book provided me with an important yet basic look at how he operated and what he did to overthrow the monarchy.
September 20, 2024
Decent, short biography. Written very much for the reader who already knows the history reasonably well; a few places simply allude to key events, rather than explaining them in chronological order for the reader. The author is extremely well-versed in the history and picks really excellent points to focus on.
May 9, 2018
I’ve no read much about Oliver Cromwell and this is the little book that I chose to make the introduction. It felt a little disjointed at times but did give a more neutral view of Cromwell than I was expecting.
July 11, 2018
I thought that this book was very accessible and very easy to read and understand. It provides the reader with a brief, but detailed overview of Cromwell’s life. I found this book to be both informative and enjoyable. I would recommend both this book and the Penguin Monarch series.
May 17, 2022
Oliver Cromwell: England's Protector is a nice short biography of the successful UK rebel of the 1650s written around 2015. Are you about as ignorant as me on the subject, it is an excellent two hours read of a primer on Cromwell.
April 24, 2023
As someone who knows very little of this period I thought I'd find out a bit more. This was a great primer for this period and for such a short book it does manage to pack a lot of information in. Recommended if you want to have a good short introduction to this tumultuous period of history.
June 25, 2023
If you are looking for a quick over view of Oliver Cromwell’s life then this might be the book for you. It is short and hits the highlights of his career. If you are wanting more on his military exploits, family life or his role as protectorate then you will want to find a more in-depth biography.
May 12, 2019
Enjoyable introduction to Cromwell's life. Sympathetic but not uncritical. Gets at the basic elements of the main events of Cromwell's life. Moved quickly.
December 3, 2019
Another cracking read. Just enough information. Going to buy and read the lot.
December 28, 2020
Enjoyed the first half the second half gets a bit boggy
January 14, 2025
I felt like the author decided not to speak about some topics in order to build the character of Cromwell up.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews