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The Gunpowder Plot Deceit
Most people think they know the story of the Gunpowder Plot, and of how a bloody catastrophe was averted at the eleventh hour when Guy Fawkes was caught lurking in the shadows beneath the Houses of Parliament.
But what if it wasn’t like that at all? How was it that a group of prominent, disaffected Catholics were able to plot for months with apparent impunity? How could they openly rent a house next door to the House of Lords and use it as their base – right under the nose of the leading spymaster of the age, Robert Cecil? How could they have hacked a tunnel towards their target and dispose of tons of spoil without alerting anyone – and why is there no record of anyone ever having seen such a tunnel?
This book explores the idea that the government was not only aware of what the plotters were up to long before Fawkes’ arrest, but that agent-provocateurs may have given them a helping hand – or have even instigated the plot themselves.
But what if it wasn’t like that at all? How was it that a group of prominent, disaffected Catholics were able to plot for months with apparent impunity? How could they openly rent a house next door to the House of Lords and use it as their base – right under the nose of the leading spymaster of the age, Robert Cecil? How could they have hacked a tunnel towards their target and dispose of tons of spoil without alerting anyone – and why is there no record of anyone ever having seen such a tunnel?
This book explores the idea that the government was not only aware of what the plotters were up to long before Fawkes’ arrest, but that agent-provocateurs may have given them a helping hand – or have even instigated the plot themselves.
208 pages, Paperback
Published August 29, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 21, 2020
Interesting contribution to studies of the Gunpowder Plot. Heavily influenced 'What Was the Gunpowder Plot-The original story tested by original evidence' By John Gerard from 1897. Well written, the author makes important use of source material to the extent that who sections of crucial source material are included : 'The Published Confessions of Thomas Wintour 23rd November 1605', ' Kings James Speech to Parliament Regarding the Plot' and extracts from the 'King's Book'. I have read the book twice and will return to it as a reference work.
The author does his best to demolish the 'official' version of events, finding plenty of discrepancies and contradictions. He maintains that the notion that the plotters were digging some mine under the houses of Westminster totally preposterous. He even questions the fact that there really was gunpowder in the barrels that the plotters were said to have stored, shows that Secretary of State Robert Cecil and his cronies were master fabricators of evidence. The author discusses the 'Monteagle Letter' which was said to have alerted the authorities to the 'Plot and whether or not any of the Plotters were Cecil's agents. And more. All great reading.
But sadly the author goes one step too far. As a reader, was just thinking what are we left with ? If there was no Plot, what was Fawkes doing hovering round the Houses of Parliament on the night of the 4th November 1605? Why did the Plotters flee and go on the run once the story broke , apart from Francis Tresham? And a number of them with some associates end up cornered at Holbeche House near Stourbridge two days later? At the trial none claim that all the evidence against them was fabricate. Neither did they dispute that they had some clandestine meetings.
But think all that Gunpowder Treason heads should read this book.
The author does his best to demolish the 'official' version of events, finding plenty of discrepancies and contradictions. He maintains that the notion that the plotters were digging some mine under the houses of Westminster totally preposterous. He even questions the fact that there really was gunpowder in the barrels that the plotters were said to have stored, shows that Secretary of State Robert Cecil and his cronies were master fabricators of evidence. The author discusses the 'Monteagle Letter' which was said to have alerted the authorities to the 'Plot and whether or not any of the Plotters were Cecil's agents. And more. All great reading.
But sadly the author goes one step too far. As a reader, was just thinking what are we left with ? If there was no Plot, what was Fawkes doing hovering round the Houses of Parliament on the night of the 4th November 1605? Why did the Plotters flee and go on the run once the story broke , apart from Francis Tresham? And a number of them with some associates end up cornered at Holbeche House near Stourbridge two days later? At the trial none claim that all the evidence against them was fabricate. Neither did they dispute that they had some clandestine meetings.
But think all that Gunpowder Treason heads should read this book.
November 19, 2021
An interesting viewpoint, a lot of circumstancial 'evidence' and you have to go along with it to get the most out of the book but it was an interesting account and one to consider. The truth might be a mixture of deceit and the government version. I do think the author is right to highlight the inconsistencies of the official account of the Gunpowder Plot and I did enjoy trying to debunk everything I previously assumed was true.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews