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  • Civil War Volume III (History of England)

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Civil War Volume III (History of England) Paperback – May 7, 2015

by Peter Ackroyd (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars (1,735)
The third volume of Peter Ackroyd's magisterial six-part History of England, taking readers from the accession of the first Stuart king, James I, to the overthrow of his grandson, James II
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  1. Book 3 of 6
    The History of England
  2. Print length
    530 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Pan Publishing
  5. Publication date
    May 7, 2015
  6. Dimensions
    5 x 1.18 x 8 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1447271696
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1447271697
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pan Publishing
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 7, 2015
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ UK ed.
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 530 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1447271696
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1447271697
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.18 x 8 inches
  • Book 3 of 6 ‏ : ‎ The History of England
  • Best Sellers Rank: #1,388,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars (1,735)

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Peter Ackroyd

Peter Ackroyd

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,735 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this historical book well-written and entertaining, praising its careful research and solid political content. The narrative receives positive feedback, with one customer noting how it explains the reasons behind historical events. They appreciate the book's readability and its coverage of 17th century English history, with one review highlighting its exploration of how literature evolved during this period. Customers enjoy the book's humor, with one noting its witty style.
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35 customers mention content, 35 positive, 0 negative
Customers find the book entertaining, with one describing it as a page-turner.
...It was a good read, not too many footnotes - it's part of a series that I plan to read more of.Read more
An excellent and very well-written history, also witty in parts and inciteful....Read more
Great readRead more
Terrific read! Filled in a big gap in my understanding of British history.Read more
35 customers mention historical information, 33 positive, 2 negative
Customers appreciate the historical information in the book, describing it as well-rounded and carefully researched, with one customer noting it provides a detailed account of the times.
...Ackroyd is an excellent writer who brings history alive....Read more
Solid political and social history of England. Lacking in description of battles....Read more
A very good history of the English civil war. One can really grasp the difficult times of this troubled nation.Read more
Very good history of England. Well written and easy to read. Only one drawback - no maps....Read more
24 customers mention writing quality, 23 positive, 1 negative
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as well-written with wonderful prose, and one customer notes that the author writes history as journalism.
...school-days the history was fed more by Art than by fact......... Well written and obviously well researched.Read more
...Ackroyd is an excellent writer who brings history alive....Read more
This was a gift. The person who received it thought it very well written and interesting and would recommend it to anyone interested in history.Read more
Peter Ackroyd writes history like a novel you just can't put down! I would highly recommend his work to students who want to know...Read more
10 customers mention narrative, 10 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the narrative of the book, describing it as an excellent history with a great storyteller, and one customer notes how it explains the reasons behind historical events.
Ackroyd is a great story teller making history assessable to all. His style is suitable for those who are not professional historians....Read more
Brilliantly told, and easy to read, the book lays out the by now well-known shoals and rocks of politics and religion....Read more
...It is also a rollicking good story.Read more
...That in itself is a most interesting story, and the author could have presented much more information on this....Read more
8 customers mention readability, 8 positive, 0 negative
Customers find the book very readable.
Brilliantly told, and easy to read, the book lays out the by now well-known shoals and rocks of politics and religion....Read more
...The book is very readable with generally short chapters that keep you moving along....Read more
...It's all in there in a very readable style....Read more
A history that is very readable and well worth reading....Read more
7 customers mention historical context, 7 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the historical context of the book, particularly its coverage of 17th century English history, with one customer noting its balance between royal dynasty and political events, while another highlights how literature was evolving during this time.
...Rebellion covers a tumultous and very unique period. It begins with the reign of James I, and ends with deposition and of his grandson, James II....Read more
...This was a pivotal period in the history of England and this book offers a view of how the lives of all who lived through this period were...Read more
...I became fascinated with the 16th century world , and felt the intense court and political dramas that played out during that period....Read more
...society, from Parliament to commerce, science, and literature were evolving through this time. It is also a rollicking good story.Read more
7 customers mention political, 6 positive, 1 negative
Customers appreciate the political content of the book, with one customer highlighting how it explores the complex interplay of politics and religion, while another notes how it delves into the historical struggle of representative governance.
Solid political and social history of England. Lacking in description of battles....Read more
An excellent and very well-written history, also witty in parts and inciteful....Read more
...Rebellion covers a tumultous and very unique period. It begins with the reign of James I, and ends with deposition and of his grandson, James II....Read more
...on the activities of the English royals, it also delves into how the rest of society, from Parliament to commerce, science, and literature were...Read more
5 customers mention humor, 5 positive, 0 negative
Customers find the book humorous at times.
This book is teeming with history and wit. The "asides" are done so well,they make the story "live", if I may use that word....Read more
...That is intended as high praise. It is a carefully researched,witty, and original chronicle of England in the 17th century.Read more
...Superbly written, wide ranging, humorous at times, Rebellion’s most entertaining chapters are when Ackroyd breaks from recounting the monarchical...Read more
An excellent and very well-written history, also witty in parts and inciteful....Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Harvey Owens
    5.0 out of 5 stars 17th Century English History.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    A well written history of England during the Stuart Dynasty in the 17th century. A great read.
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  • Paul
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent History of the Stuart Dynasty
    Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2014
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The turbulent 17th century in England required a strong king and a leader of men. The four descendants of Mary Queen of Scots proved to have none of that in them. It is ironic that Mary lost her head to Elizabeth, but her son became king after Elizabeth's death.

    James I was not a Hollywood image of a king. He was a man prone to slobbering, and "playing with his codpiece". Coming from Scotland, and the only child of Mary Queen of Scots, he brought much of that baggage with him, and with all four of these monarchs, he fought continuously for money that was not readily offered for his fine tastes. The one thing he is most remembered for was the creation of the King James Bible. That in itself is a most interesting story, and the author could have presented much more information on this.

    His son Charles assumed the throne on the death of his father. Charles was a man of stubborn will, who thought way too much of himself, and foolishly aligned his throne with people not at all popular, such as the Duke of Buckingham. He had a running battle with a Parliament that increasingly sought to strip him of real power. It was so bad that Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629 for a long eleven years. It was only in April of 1640 that it was again summoned because the king needed money and the reception to this was not friendly. There was also great religious conflicts at this time. The dour Presbyterian Scots demanded no toleration of Catholicism and no acceptance of the more formal Church of England which infuriated Charles. To shorten the story, royalists and backers of parliament gathered armies. Charles I eventually was defeated and at the end of January 1649, his head was chopped off. For a period of time Oliver Cromwell assumed more of a military dictatorship, and eventually, they sent for Charles II, who had been living in Europe to assume the throne. He did and proved to be just as incompetent as his father and grandfather. With his death and no male heir, his brother James II took the crown and by 1688, he was toppled in the Glorious Revolution. It didn't help that James was Catholic which was a clear conflict with the majority of the people and those in power.

    There are many other good parts of the book. The author brings up information on the arts, the way people lived, and toward the latter part of the 17th century, the economic progress of England in so many ways that brought not only wealth, but general improvements in life for the English people.

    The book is very readable with generally short chapters that keep you moving along. There is a much going on during this period and Ackroyd does most of it justice in a fair manner. It could easily be four volumes or more, but nobody would read it, so I recommend it. Even if you have limited background in the history of this period, you will gain knowledge from this work and I thank the author for it.
    25 people found this helpful
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  • John C Holbert
    5.0 out of 5 stars A quite delightful history
    Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I know a good bit about this period of English history, having read huge numbers of histories and historical fiction of the period, but Ackroyd always has the telling period pieces to liven the story superbly. I have read many of his histories and his fiction, and he is always a superb writer and chronicler--far better on the page than those times when the BBC dragoons him into appearing on camera. If you like lively history, he is surely one of those who never fails to entertaining educate all at once.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • GeoUser
    5.0 out of 5 stars The ways of men and politics haven’t changed
    Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Brilliantly told, and easy to read, the book lays out the by now well-known shoals and rocks of politics and religion. It remains a wonder that many flock to politics, and many more are adamant that democracy is inadequate to the task, and that “strong leaders” are the only viable means of national leadership.
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  • Michael Lapelosa
    4.0 out of 5 stars Top Notch - Wonderful Prose
    Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This book is one of a three book series about certain periods in English history. Rebellion covers a tumultous and very unique period. It begins with the reign of James I, and ends with deposition and of his grandson, James II. All of the facinating characters of the period are brought to llife thru the author's excellent prose, including Charles I, Cromwell, and Charles II.

    The times reflected a long struggle between absolute monarchy and Parliment, highlighted by a bloody civil war, and the killing of a king. The book also captures the tenor of the times regarding the religious intolerance which played such a critical importance in the unfolding of events.
    The central character of the book is Oliver Cromwell, who evolved from defender of the rights of men into England's only dictator and as much of a despot as the king he executed.

    Along the way, the author provides the reader with background and perspective by including aspects of the cultural and social life of the period, including Shakespeare's works, the poetry of John Donne and Milton and Thomas Hobbes's great philosophical treatise, Leviathan.

    I found this book informative, thought provoking, entertaining extremely well written and balanced. The only issue I had was that I was unfamilier many of the terms and references that were employed by the author. The book is clearly written for a British audience. However I did enjoy the book and intend to read the other two, which is probably the best endorsement I can give.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • JEDrury
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ackroyd’s superb history of 17th century England
    Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    “Rebellion,” Peter Ackroyd’s third book of five in his splendid history of England, focuses on the feckless Stuart monarchy (James I, Charles I and II, James II) along with the six years of the Cromwellian Protectorate (1653-1659). This is the historical struggle of representative governance against England’s monarchical legacy complicated by the “push pull” of religion, Protestantism versus Catholicism, in an age of burgeoning mercantilism and scientific achievement.

    Superbly written, wide ranging, humorous at times, Rebellion’s most entertaining chapters are when Ackroyd breaks from recounting the monarchical madness to the writings of John Milton, the genius of Isaac Newton, the diaries of Samuel Pepys, the bawdiness of plays at Drury Lane, life on the streets of London for the commoners and the many mistresses of Charles II; all gloriously ending in 1688 when James II fled to France.
    7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Vincenzo Valentini
    4.0 out of 5 stars Contributo pregevole ma con un titolo parzialmente inesatto
    Reviewed in Italy on January 9, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Non si possono che condividere le recensioni molto positive che questo testo ha ottenuto nei paesi di lingua inglese. Come compendio storico sul periodo successivo alla morte della monarca Elisabetta I, un periodo di sconvolgimenti difficilmente prevedibili per la Gran Bretagna e la sua istituzione monarchica, il testo è encomiabile, soprattutto per lo stile svelto e coinvolgente di Ackroyd. L'unica riserva che mi permetto di segnalare riguarda il titolo, che considero almeno in parte fuorviante, l'opera infatti più che trattare della Guerra Civile Inglese, è un resoconto autorevole quanto godibile del XVII secolo inglese, quello dell'ascesa e caduta della dinastia Stuart, e della loro epopea maestosa e tragica che li portò dai massimi onori all'indegnità del ceppo del boia per poi recuperare il potere e nuovamente perderlo a favore di un sovrano straniero autore di un vero e proprio golpe. Fatta questa doverosa precisazione, il libro merita di essere raccomandato senza riserva alcuna.
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  • Kenneth Ward
    5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT!
    Reviewed in Canada on June 24, 2017
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Ackroyd is one of the best historians ever! Well written, absorbing and informative!
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  • Norman Alan Metcalfe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting history
    Reviewed in Germany on February 28, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Peter Ackroyd manages to give the big picture - what the leeches (kings, queens, earls etc.) at the top of society did or did not do - but also writes about how it was to be a normal member of society. Better than any detective story. I'M looking forward to volume 4.
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  • EleanorB
    5.0 out of 5 stars More first class work from Peter Ackroyd.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is another first class piece of work and covers our island's history from accession of James the First to the coming of William of Orange to take over the throne vacated when James the Second fled into exile. The Jacobean period, the execution of Charles the First, the Civil War and Cromwell's Protectorate, the restoration of the Stuart monarchy under Charles the Second and all points in between are investigated. Ackroyd's usual meticulous research brings the events, the participants, the ongoing religious tensions and the fluctuating role of Parliament in the governance of the realm into sharp focus.

    This is history as it should be told, with our all too human failings, mistakes, lusts, hunger for power, greed and thirst for revenge writ large. The huge personalities of the time are all given sufficient care and attention to help us understand not just how things happened, but why and what role the constant fault lines between Catholic and Protestant worship played in these great games of power and politics. The violence and tragedy of civil war is not glossed over, nor is the retribution meted out by Charles the Second to his father's regicides.

    Ackroyd is particularly skilled at putting events into context historically whilst providing biographical details which add lustre to the vivid and diverse cast of characters who shaped this period of our long, complex history.

    I await the next volume with considerable interest and have no hesitation in heartily recommending this superb book. There is no shortage of illustrations which are all well chosen and eye catching.
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  • Luke Dennison
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great account of the reign of the Stuart's
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I came to this, not having read the previous books or losing much about the civil war or the reign of the Stuart's and overall I found this to be informative, interesting and maybe most of interest was just how little has changed! This moment in history is really interesting with so many themes that are still relevant today whether it be homosexuality, power, self serving decisions, sleight of hand politics, power of religion etc, etc. Ackroyd in the main plus together the information very well and is clear in his prose. My one minor criticism would be the chapters where he used what was going on in theatre and the arts as a yardstick to how the public felt at that time. In theory this was a great idea but I'm practice I found it didn't work for me and felt out of place with the rest of the narrative. overall though this was a worthy read.
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