This is a concise and accessible account covering not just "the war fought between king and parliament in 1642-6" but "the range of conflicts, military and political, of the 1640s and 1650s". It also treats the origins of conflict at some length, and offers a shorter look at the Restoration and its aftermath, as at how perspectives on the civil wars have changed over the last three hundred and fifty years.

Worden is a period specialist, but he carries his learning lightly and refrains from academic prose, excessive detail, or a skew towards his research interests. He maintains a narrative flow while stepping back as necessary to provide background: his focus is on the political ruptions, but he treats the essential religious and military context and touches as appropriate on topics such as literature (his own area), foreign policy, economics, social changes, and local government.

The English Civil Wars 1640-1660 is an easy but informative read.

September 2021

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