The English Civil War: At First Hand
Not the book of the BBC2 series, but it is worth mentioning that the author's TV history of the English Civil War attracted 4m viewers, as well as favourable comparison with that other star of popular history on TV, Simon Schama. Only a small proportion of those viewers needs to buy this book to send it soaring up the bestseller lists. This history of a subject not lacking previous narrative treatments uses abundant contemporary sources to bring a sense of immediacy to the civil strife between 1637 and 1652 that gave birth to the mother of all parliaments. Popular history at its best: a hugely important topic brought to life with considerable style by a professional historian in full command of the sources. A surprise bestseller this Christmas?--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.