The remarkable story of George Downing—savvy soldier, politician, diplomat, spy, and one of the most scandalous figures of his era.
Judged by contemporaries to be a "perfidious rogue," Sir George Downing rose to prominence during the English Civil War as Oliver Cromwell's chief of military intelligence. In the Interregnum he proved himself a double-dealer who bribed and blackmailed his way to diplomatic success across Europe (pioneering the practice of judicial kidnapping and starting two major wars in the process), before spectacularly betraying his friends to horrifically violent deaths by defecting to Charles II's court.
Always at the centre of events, Downing engaged with the most illustrious men and women of his times: Samuel Pepys was his clerk; John Milton prepared his letters and dispatches; William of Orange was godfather to his son; his next-door neighbour was Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia; and when Downing finally built his street, his surveyor was Sir Christopher Wren.
Cromwell's Spy tells George Downing's story for the very first time, following him from the asceticism of Puritan New England, across English battlefields, through courts, chancelleries and parliaments, to the heart of wealth and power in Restoration London.
eBook - ePub
Cromwell's Spy
The Notorious Double Life of George Downing: From the American Colonies to the English Civil War
- 374 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
Cromwell's Spy
The Notorious Double Life of George Downing: From the American Colonies to the English Civil War
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Information
Subtopic
Historical BiographiesIndex
HistoryTable of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Dramatis Personae
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: An Unsentimental Education
- Chapter 2: Army versus Parliament
- Chapter 3: The Breda Mission
- Chapter 4: Mr Downing Goes to War
- Chapter 5: The Dunbar Fight
- Chapter 6: Capturing the Castle and Ending the War
- Chapter 7: Rump to Barebone’s
- Chapter 8: A Marriage and a Settlement
- Chapter 9: A Diplomat Abroad
- Chapter 10: Politician and Envoy
- Chapter 11: Rendition
- Chapter 12: Rise and Fall
- Chapter 13: ‘Si Monumentum Requiris… Circumspice’
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- List of Illustrations
- Copyright
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Yes, you can access Cromwell's Spy by Dennis Sewell in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Historical Biographies. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.