God's Vindictive Wrath

Divided Kingdom #1

by Charles Cordell

God’s Vindictive Wrath is an English Civil War historical novel – from the brutal Battle of Edgehill to the barricades at Brentford, ordinary men and women are plunged into the chaos of Britain's civil war.

“Stirring. A great read! You can almost hear the roar of cannon and the thunder of hooves. Do not miss this evocative account of the start of the English Civil War, and the ordinary men caught up in it.” Ben Kane, Sunday Times bestselling author, The Forgotten Legion and Lionheart

“Fast-paced and authentic. With characters that are colourful and believable. There are not enough tales like this.” Michael Arnold, author of the Civil War Chronicles and Highwayman series

“An exciting minute-by-minute story of the English Civil War … from the soldier’s point of view … the historical accuracy is fantastic … the storyline and writing style tremendously exciting.” Historical Novels Review

“A fast-paced read that brilliantly captures the fear, confusion and luck of battle.” General Richard Nugee CB, CVO, CBE

Bitter divisions that have grown unchecked in the kingdoms of the Stuart dynasty are about to engulf England in a bloody civil war. 30,000 men have gathered to determine the fate of nations and to pursue their own ideals and enmities through brutal and bloody combat. Many have never handled a weapon or strayed far from their native shire.

Among them are Anthony Sedley the Birmingham iron worker and Leveller, Robbie Needham, an embittered lead miner from Derbyshire who picks up a pike for his king, George Merrick, the young Oxford graduate whose prospects have been blighted by court corruption, Hywel Lloyd, a proud Welsh hill farmer, and William Bennet the struggling merchant who has staked everything to raise a company for the parliamentary cause.

Then there are the half-brothers, Ralph and Francis Reeve, sons of a Suffolk farmer. Pious Francis has abandoned his studies at Cambridge to make England a New Jerusalem, cleansed of sin and filth. He despises his carefree brother and the father who seems to favour him. Caught cuckolding a London merchant, Ralph has forfeited his apprenticeship and indenture money. He dreams of restoring his honour and his fortune when he returns to London with the king's victorious army.

But first the brothers must face each other in the Vale of the Red Horse, the horse whose rider is War...

God’s Vindictive Wrath tells the story of the first months of England's brutal civil war, in the autumn mud of 1642 - a war fought in its towns, villages and fields. A war that forged the United Kingdom.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Stuart, Civil War, Renaissance, Historical, Adventure

307 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2022

About the author

Charles Cordell is the author of English Civil War historical fiction series Divided Kingdom - "writes with bravura confidence" The Times.

A former soldier on the ground in the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa, his writing draws on time spent in the fraying margins of civilisation, as well as a deep study of The General Crisis of the 17th Century and its parallels today.

"Stirring. A great read! You can almost hear the roar of cannon and the thunder of hooves." Ben Kane, Sunday Times bestselling author, The Forgotten Legion and Lionheart

"Heart-pounding action, heart-breaking loss as a nation tears itself apart. You can smell the sweat of fear. … Not to be missed." David Gilman, award-winning author of the Master of War series, The Last Horseman and The Englishman

"Fast-paced and authentic. With characters that are colourful and believable. There are not enough tales like this." Michael Arnold, author of the Civil War Chronicles and Highwayman series

"An exciting minute-by-minute story of the English Civil War … from the soldier’s point of view … the historical accuracy is fantastic … the storyline and writing style tremendously exciting." Historical Novels Review

If you want to know more about the author and the #DividedKingdomBooks, please do visit the website at: www.charlescordell.com, or check out the social media posts at:

Twitter: Twitter.com/@CharlesCordell
Instagram: Instagram.com/CharlesCordellAuthor
Facebook: Facebook.com/CharlesCordellBooks
YouTube: YouTube.com/@charlescordell
Amazon: Amazon.com/author/charlescordell

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I wondered whose ‘side’ the narrative would prefer.
What I found however was a very balanced account of the beginnings of the English Civil War. Characters on both sides of the conflict were relatable and for the most part it was easy to sympathise with their viewpoint (- well, perhaps not so much in the case of the self righteous religious fanatic Francis Reeve..!)

One of my favourite bits was the encounter between 2 basic working men from opposite sides of the conflict, Robbie Needham and Anthony Sedley, who suddenly realise they are fighting for essentially the same thing but on different sides.

The battles were described brilliantly too.

I will certainly be looking out for the second volume.

[Steve Kimmins · Rating 4 out of 5]

An historical fiction based on the mid-17th century English Civil War. I don’t recall reading a fiction from that event before though it’s well known to school children here as ‘Roundheads vs. Cavaliers’ or more accurately the bloody political struggle between an old style of kingship and an increasingly assertive Parliament.

I like the focus the author chose for the story, mostly from those intimately involved in the first battles of the war - ‘the common soldier’ angle. Although there were profound political, religious, ideological causes for the conflict many of the soldiers are shown not to have this as their primary reason for involvement. Sometimes a bit of an accident being in a local militia inclined to one side or the other, tenants of a local landowner or employees/apprentices of a town merchant committed to a side, etc. To the modern eye this conflict can sometimes be seen in black and white - a bad king trying to restore absolute rule against a democratic parliament. Except the Parliamentarians of that era included some aristocrats, plenty of landowners begrudging royal tax requests, and the increasingly powerful merchant and business class in the towns and cities. The democratic franchise didn’t run very deep in society! And there were some who saw the King as a source of stability given widespread religious wars in Europe, and some protection against the new rapacious capitalists. The author touches on all of these complex aspects as to why ordinary people selected one side or the other to fight on; why the Good side and Bad side wasn’t clearly apparent.

Every character has his reasons for his choice of side outlined in some detail at their introduction. Maybe the way this was done is my main criticism. Sometimes in a slightly heavy handed way, in one or more big dollops, rather than spread out as we get to know them through the tale. Nonetheless the reasons given rang true for the era they lived in.

One of the more ideological reasons given for some was a commitment to a purer form of Protestantism, the Puritans (also of The Mayflower fame some years before this War!) who overwhelmingly committed to the Parliamentary cause, believing the King to be sympathetic to Catholicism, not least with an influential Catholic wife - religion was very political then. Their commitment may seem to be over-expressed sometimes in the book but I don’t think it really is. One small example: if you visit any of the many medieval churches scattered throughout England there’s a good chance you’ll come across defaced older statues of saints, defaced by enthusiastic Puritan soldiers who saw statues as idols banned by the Bible (to be fair, from my early Irish Catholic churchgoing experience where some worshippers kissed the feet of holy statues they had some reason for that belief!).

The book is heavy on the military side, concentrating on the first large battle of the war, and the abortive attempt by the King to subdue London. I’m not usually a fan of battle rich stories but it shows battles as a dirty, brutal, scary experience for inexperienced participants where luck plays a major role in your survival. I believe that realism comes from an author with military experience.
It happens that I have a friend who takes part in Civil War re-enactments under the banner ‘The Sealed Knot’, usually at country fairs with colourful period costumes, musket demonstrations and battles involving lots of pushing and shoving by groups of pikemen - and pike women as he met his future wife, and her family, from an opposing group of ‘pikemen’ trying to push them from the field of battle, as was a common battle tactic of the time.

In summary, a military orientated historical fiction, I think with the right degree of gritty realism. Well researched on the political and military aspects, as the Appendix indicates. Maybe a bit heavy handed for my taste with character introductions and their motives. Easy 4* and I’ll continue with the series.

[Ian Henshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced book based on The English Civil War. Although a work of fiction the story is heavily based on real events and involving people who are known in history. A full list of characters and their relationship to each other are a helpful addition.
With chapters written from the perspective of individual characters you get carried along through the book feeling as though you are a part of the action.
Although written by someone who clearly has a passion for this turbulent period in history I suggest you do not need a knowledge or indeed a strong interest in the 17th century to enjoy the book.

[Kevin Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Superb Read.

Being a big fan of Michael Arnolds superb series of E C W books I was very keen to read Mr Cordells offering, this is the start of a new series and there are two novels and a short story available at the moment, the first book follows the battles of Edghill and the later battle of Brentford, this was certainly a action packed read and because of the way the author had written the book( no spoilers) I didn't want to put the book down, it actually reads like a thriller with short action packed chapters. I will be diving into the short story next and then on to book two. If the next book is as good, then these could be my books of the year, they are that good, if you enjoy historical fiction or you just want a action packed page turning read then these come Very Very Highly Recommended.

[Matthew Culley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book. Really makes you feel that you are in the action at the Battles of Edgehill and Brentford. A good story that is well informed by real history. Recommended.

[Steve Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A full-throttle account of Edgehill and Brentford fights in 1642. The focus is squarely on the details of
the battles as experienced by the soldiers of both sides; the equipment, the feelings, the waiting, the
random chances that make the difference between survival or not.
There is no definite ‘main character’ until near the end of the story, and the villain is simply war, or
life, that impersonal threat to all our hopes and plans. We follow a cross-section of men whose lives
are marked by the opening battle and campaign in the most cruel and lethal set of wars in Britain’s
history. The battles unfold through the eyes of these representatives of all of us. Some cope well
with the stress, some don’t, and some pay the ultimate price for the choices that brought them to
those fateful events.
Clearly, this is a well-researched story, based on first-hand accounts of this campaign of the first civil
war. The details help us to feel what those men felt. We learn the backgrounds of the characters we
follow so we understand something of their reasons for hazarding their lives. We come to care about
them and feel their terror in the visceral descriptions of the battle.
The gradual rolling forward of the individual stories through the battles builds tension. I was
reminded of the way that Christopher Nolan uses noise in the background of his film about the
rescue of the BEF from Dunkirk: a constant, unremitting, disturbing, inexorable driving forward to
the inevitable. Cordell uses a stop-start switching from one character to another, and we sort of hear
the whining, unavoidable progress of war and death as it crashes into men’s lives. This is epitomised
by the slow grinding, terrifying combat of ‘push of pike’. How would I cope in such a situation when
five hundred men were pushing seventeen-foot-long pikes at me, and my regiment at them? Vicious,
close-quarter warfare.
I found it confusing to distinguish between all the characters during the story of Edgehill. There was
too much to take in about their situations, and then the battle was a constant deluge of detail. I felt
more engaged with the story around the Battle of Brentford. By this time, I had travelled with the
characters and understood them more, so I identified with their plight more. The situations each
found himself in were compelling and engrossing.
This is a book for those who want to feel what those men felt at those moments of highest drama. It
isn’t an intimate portrayal of family relationships, and only towards the end did I pick up the thread
of Ralph Reeve as the main character and sense that there is more to come and a life journey to
follow. But then, with war, nothing is certain. At this stage the personal threads are present, but only
secondarily to the physical reality of war.
I enjoyed the book. I wanted to get into the detail of the battles, and I understand that battles are
confusing and disjointed, so a little of that in my understanding of the story is fine. By the end I felt I
had been on a journey – a buffeting, wounding journey, and it helps me in understanding those
tumultuous times and my ordinary, yet extraordinary forebears.
This is the first in a series of books about the civil wars. I am looking forward to reading the next
story.

[Chris Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Spike, rake, sponge, charge, wad, shot, wad – the gun crews worked like automatons. There was something extraordinary in the way that every man performed his motions as a part of the action. Every movement was synchronised with the next. They were a perfect machine – each one a piece of the mechanism, like the wheels of the watch in his pocket. He could think of no other example of men working together with such precision. This was man, industry and science in unison. Was this the way of the future? It was a wondrous and near-perfect thing. But it was a perfection bent on destruction.”

The confusion and horror of the battle of Edgehill (and its aftermath) provide the perfect setting for this, the first in what promises to be an enjoyable new series on the War of the Three Kingdoms. My only criticism is that the descriptions of the characters' inner lives and thoughts sometimes stray into anachronism - they often behave like post-Enlightenment figures transported into a pre-Enlightenment setting.

Cordell’s writing is at its best when his subject is the experiences of the soldier as such. We meet enlisted men and officers, infantry, cavalry and artillery, veterans and raw recruits, and his descriptions of their experiences of battle are timeless. I will most definitely read the next book in the series.

“Each sat wrapped in their thoughts and the vapour of their breath in the cold night air. Already the evening dew was starting to freeze. After a glorious sunlit day came clawing cold, frost and darkness. Bowed faces, dull steel and freezing breath wavered in the inconsistent firelight. They sat in silence, gaping at the fire, lost in reflexion. Here and there a man shivered uncontrollably, teeth clattering, chest frozen, stomach clenched as the fear they had fought to hide overwhelmed them in the darkness. Some nursed wounds, cuts, bruises, powder burns. But it was the mind, rather than the body, that troubled most. They turned in upon themselves searching out inner hurts and fears. Most found guilt. Guilt for what they had done – or for what they had not. Guilt for having ridden down fellow men, fellow Christians, protestants, fellow Englishmen. Guilt for having left the battle before it was truly over. Guilt for failing to do more, for failing to fulfil their duty. But, above all, most felt the guilt of having survived.”

[Daniel Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent well researched and highly entertaining historical novel set within the Early days of the Civil War. The pace was electric and at times I simply had to keep reading. Personally the efforts undertaken by the author to carefully ensure the colloquial language and backgrounds to the characters was a real treat. As a Welsh speaker it also deserves the recognition for including what was the common language for many fighting on the Royalist side. There is simply not enough use of Welsh in historical fiction so a real gem. Da iawn a dwi’n edrych ymlaen i darllen y llyfyr nesa yn y cyfres.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant book. It was certainly action packed. Initially I was concerned that it was going to be fight, fight, fight, without any depth. I was definitely wrong - you get a real sense of the characters and personalities of the characters depicted, they become real people in just a few sentences. You feel the passions, the hopes, the divisions. It is particularly poignant that being a civil war ignoring the politics, the enemy are not so clearly defined, they are simply the "bloke next door" a fact that comes over forcefully. Very well written Charles Cordell is a talented author, and clearly puts a lot of himself into the work. I look forward to the next instalment .

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyed this book. I loved the way the characters who fought and died on both sides, felt so real. I often wonder what made the common man fight on both sides of the conflict? This was explained so well, without getting into too much depth.

The descriptions of the terror of being in a 'push of pike' close quarter fight. It made you realise how much you would never want to be in that situation, ever. The house to house fighting at Brentford was just amazing. It reminded me of a small Stalingrad.

I can not wait for the second book to be released. I want to know how the characters in the story continue with this war and all its horrors.

[Susie Helme · Rating 5 out of 5]

1642 Warwickshire. Francis Reeve looks up to the hill carving, the Red Horse, and down upon the king’s forces, among whom is his half-brother Ralph. On the other hill, Ralph thinks about Francis. Why had he sent that angry letter? Perhaps Francis was still angry with Ralph for being caught with his master’s wife.
This is an exciting, minute-by-minute story of the English Civil War, from the Battle of Edgehill to the Battle of Brentford. It’s told from multiple points of view, enabling us to see battles from all angles, but largely through Francis and Ralph. On opposing sides, the half-brothers must ultimately confront each other. That the author was a career soldier himself is evident in the detailed descriptions and analyses of battle strategies. We learn about Dutch-style defence, Swedish King Gustavus’ brigade formation, as well as the mechanics of cannons and muskets.
We are used to looking at historical battles from a bird’s-eye-view, since we know the outcome. This is from the soldier’s point of view—do-or-die determination for the cause, hearts filled with fervour yet terror, eyes witnessing pain, blood and death, never knowing what the overall state of play is until after it is all over.
Most of these characters are known to history. Though the detailed accounts of battle and multiple points of view don’t leave much time for character development, their lively interactions bring the reader right into the scene.
The attention to historical accuracy is fantastic. I was impressed by the duplication of the religious expression that was especially characteristic of this revolution. Also well portrayed are the lifestyles of people at the time, not to mention the gore and mayhem of war. Both the storyline and the writing style are tremendously exciting.
Contains some sex, swearing and gore. Fans of military fiction will love this. This review first appeared in Historical Novels Review.

[Julian Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a general interest in history, including this period, and I particularly like the contemporary style of history writing, both fact and fiction. This is a great example of that style. Setting a relatable story against known events is a great way of narration as well as allowing the reader to understand the realities of peace and wartime life in this period. It offers a closer inspection of combat styles of the day, the associated terror and emotive responses of the combatants.

Breaking down the chapters into nuggets develops the characters, making it easier to understand the wider, multi-layered story. This appeals to me – allowing me to pick up / put down the book with minimal loss of info. The even handedness of the story also builds the tension. I found myself preferring some characters over others, commiserating over the loss of a ‘good guy’ whilst lamenting the survival of a ‘bad guy’.

Battle location enthusiasts will appreciate the recognisability of place names. Though I’ve never lived in west London, I could easily relate the skirmish/battle sites and progress to underground stations, excellent for those who like to ‘walk’ the battle, even though development may have hidden the original site.

We need more history like this, increasing its appeal to everyone. Finally – when to read this? Whenever – if it’s late at night, you’ll carry on into the early hours; but it’s equally good for a commute – or a long journey. Perfect holiday reading! Looking forward to the next instalment.

[Martin Neale · Rating 4 out of 5]

The debut novel in The Divided Kingdom series, this is a very promising start from the author. Told from both sides of the conflict, Charles dives right into the action, starting with the battle of Edgehill. He introduces us to quite a few characters and isn't afraid to kill some of them off. This isn't a bad thing, as sometimes the "hero" in some novels appear totally invulnerable no matter what risks they take. The battle scenes are very well written, really bringing across the terror and confusion.
I read this book whilst on holiday and will definitely be ordering the next one when I get home. I want to score it 4.5 out of 5, unfortunately it doesn't let me do that.

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a good book about the English Civil War.

Having searched for a while and read one book I had to just leave this book delivered.

A well researched book that focuses on the initial months of the war all from different people’s experiences. It is a novel based on the authors historical reading so some characters are real, but of course with the authors ‘creative’ content added. But it’s nice to have the story told from the pikeman’s, musketeers perspective and not just Cromwell or the Kings.

Gripping, well written with characters that you become invested in, a brilliant book on the opening battles of the English Civil War.

I look forward to book #2

Well worth a read.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent historical novel is the 1st volume of the "Divided Kingdom" series, featuring the English Civil War, by, for me, a new author called, Charles Cordell.

Storytelling is superb, all figures, whether fantastic fictional or real historical, are very human, lifelike and thus absolutely believable in their dealings with life and war during this horrendous time, while also the atmosphere and circumstances of England in war with itself are all wonderfully pictured and described by the author.

At the end of the book you'll notice Historical Notes, where you can find and read superbly explained historical details concerning this first book.

The book is divided into three parts and all featuring in the year AD1642, starting with the Battle of Edgehill, followed by skirmishes on the way to London, and ending with the clashes in and around Brentford, and all three are accompanied with very well-drawn maps.

This book follows the lives and deeds of the brothers Reeve, with on the one hand the pious Puritan Francis and on the other the carefree Royalist Ralph, but also the lives and deeds of Parliamentarians like, Anthony Sedley, William Bennett and Nehemiah Wharton are shown against the lives and deeds of Royalists like, Robbie Needham, Hywel Lloyd and George Merrett.

This book will wonderfully describe the bad leadership during the battles and clashes at the start of the English Civil War, where the common people on both sides are used as fodder, in all the actions of destruction and death, and all that in a desperate attempt to hang on to power by on the one side, King Charles I, and on the other, Parliament.

What is follow is a masterful retelling of the beginning of the English Civil War in AD1642, and where for whatever reasons Michael Arnold's and Giles Kristian's were broken off, I hope sincerely that this series will stay the course right till the end, for this great begin has given me appetite for more, and so I look very much forward to the next instalment.

Highly recommended, for this is an amazing start of this new series, and that's why I like to call this first episode: "A Brilliant Opening Scene"!