Publisher's Synopsis
The first in a pioneering two-volume account of Oliver Cromwell - one that provides a major new interpretation of one of the greatest figures in history
Oliver Cromwell - the only English commoner to become the Head of State - is one of the great figures of history.He was at once courageous and devout, devious and self-serving; as a parliamentarian, he confessed himself committed to reform, as a soldier he was bloodthirsty. Cromwell's writings and speeches surpass those of any other ruler of England before Victoria; and, for those seeking to understand him, he has been taken at his word.
In this major new work, Ronald Hutton untangles the facts from the fiction. Cromwell, discovering his devotion to god and cementing his puritan support base, quickly transformed from obscure provincial to military victor. At the end of the First English Civil War he was poised to take power. Hutton reveals a man who was both genuine in his faith and deliberate in his dishonesty - and uncovers the inner workings of the man who has puzzled biographers for centuries
