The English Civil War

A Military History

Peter Gaunt

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2025
• Edition: 2
• eBook ISBN:
  9781350378094
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: British History
• Index: History

Focusing on the martial core of the English Civil War, this account offers a detailed overview of the decade-long conflict: from the social, religious, and political divisions that influenced the nation's militarization, to the experiences of combatants and civilians, and the War's relationship with urban and rural environments.

Peter Gaunt uses rich contemporary accounts to examine experiences of the War from all angles. Whether detailing early clashes between the two armies, analysing the events of major conflicts such as Edgehill and Cheriton, or examining Parliamentary efforts to establish peace, this book highlights the pervasive impact of the English Civil War upon the nation. With exploration of fresh debates concerning the memory and memorialisation of the War, Peter Gaunt demonstrates how the conflict's aftershocks lasted far beyond the 1640s

Building on the substantial foundations of the first edition, The English Civil War has been updated to include:
- Analysis of the connections between the main war of 1642-46 and the political, administrative, and
religious developments during this period.
- Exploration of local politics and the role of print culture.
- Updated coverage of Scotland and Ireland during the 1640s.
- Expanded historiographical material and new maps.

Ideal for students and general readers alike, this is an essential resource for all interested in the English Civil War and military history.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• MAPS
• ILLUSTRATIONS
• Context and Acknowledgements
• Introduction : The faces of war
• Chapter 1 ‘One unexpected accident after another, as waves of the sea’ : The origins and causes of the English civil war
• Chapter 2 ‘And thus innocently began this cursed war’ : The war begins, a nation divides and the conflicts of 1642
• Chapter 3 ‘A time … when brothers killed brothers, cousins cousins and friends their friends’ : The nature of the English civil war
• Chapter 4 ‘War is a womb big with many miseries’ : The fighting and campaigns of 1643
• Chapter 5 ‘Pluck[ing] a victory out of the enemies’ hands’ : The fighting and campaigns of 1644
• Chapter 6 ‘Bestrewed with carcases of horse and men’ : The fighting and campaigns of 1645–6
• Chapter 7 ‘They expected England to have become a second Paradise’ : From war to peace and back to the brink of war, 1646–8
• Chapter 8 ‘You lead us into rebellion and all other mischiefs’ : The second civil war, 1648
• Conclusion : The traces of civil war
• Guide to further reading
• INDEX