English Rebels and Revolutionaries

by Stephen Basdeo

Throughout history brave Englishmen and women have never been afraid to rise up against their unjust rulers and demand their rights. Barely a century has gone by without England being witness to a major uprising against the government of the day, often resulting in a fundamental change to the constitution. This book is a collection of biographies, written by experts in their field, of the lives and deeds of famous English freedom fighters, rebels, and democrats who have had a major impact on history. Featured chapters include the history of Wat Tyler’s Rebellion, when an army of 50,000 people marched to London in 1381 to demand an end to serfdom and the hated poll tax. Alongside Wat Tyler in this pantheon of English revolutionaries is Jack Cade who in 1450 led an angry mob to London to protest against government corruption. There are three chapters on various aspects of the English Civil War, during which the English executed their king. Other rebel heroes featured include Thomas Paine, the great intellectual of the American and French Revolutions; Mary Wollstonecraft, author of The Rights of Woman; Henry Hunt, who, as well as the Chartists after him, campaigned for universal suffrage; William Morris, the visionary designer and socialist thinker; and finally the Suffragettes and Suffragists who fought for women’s voting rights.

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2022

About the author

Stephen Basdeo completed his BA (Hons) History in 2013 at Leeds Beckett University. During this time Stephen wrote a dissertation on the periodicals of Joseph Addison and Richard Steele. Stephen's dissertation went to win the Alan MacGregor Award for Exceptional Contribution to the School of Cultural Studies. He is Assistant Professor of History at Richmond University (Leeds RIASA).

Reviews

[Arthur Morrill III · Rating 3 out of 5]

“English Rebels and Revolutionaries,” by Stephen Basdeo (ISBN: 9781526785909), Publication Date: 30 April 2022, earns three stars.

This book covers a multitude English men and women who have taken a public stand against oppressive governments and discriminatory rule from the 1400s to the 19th Century. Some of those might even surprise the casual reader, e.g., women’s rights advocate Mary Wollstonecraft, designer William Morris, and even the English-born, American patriot, Thomas Paine.

In each of these cases, the information offered is well researched and presented, although the writing is somewhat uneven owing to differing styles of the many contributors, which could be smoothed out by additional editing. Fortunately, the narrative does provide the reader with a fascinating and factual tale of the evolution government focused on the good of the common man.

Thanks to the publisher, Pen & Sword History, for granting this reviewer this opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.