The English Civil War: A People's History

Like the War itself, I think it sounds a lot more interesting than it actually ends up being. I know that the point of the book is to look at how the war effected individual and everyday lives, but there are so many threads in the story lines, it's impossible to get invested in any of the players. ( )

A good book to cover the sweep of this period of English history. I was a little disappointed Purkiss did not spend more time discussing the basic ideas that were the impetus of the Civil War - no taxation without representation, the limits of monarchical power, the rise of popular politics - but perhaps I over estimate their importance. Purkiss did very well conveying the confusion and anarchy of the times, and the sense that society was unraveling that many participants felt. Still, a little more politics with the social studies would not have been amiss. ( )