God's Englishman: Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution

Unfortunately I can’t give this the review it deserves, as I don’t have it with me to refer to. Perhaps this will prove a test of how memorable the contents were? In any event, I’d only read one other book about Cromwell and found this one fascinating. It was published in 1970 (or 1971?) and has remained very readable, with only a couple of slightly dated references. It covers the life of Oliver Cromwell chronologically, before devoting two chapters to his religious beliefs and influence upon historians. Give my scant prior knowledge, I was especially struck by Cromwell’s influence on foreign policy, which amounted to launching the British empire. ‘God’s Englishman’ also conveys how Cromwell operated effectively as a show more negotiator and mediator, conciliating and making vague promises before turning against groups when convenient. He appears to have been very much a pragmatist, believing that god favoured those who got on with the job in hand. The book also draws some fascinating contrasts between the English and French revolutions and the roles of the peasantry/working class therein.

The chapter on how Oliver Cromwell has been interpreted by history was a definite highlight. A conversation between HG Wells and Stalin on the subject of Cromwell is quoted as follows (I cheated by googling this for exact wording):

STALIN: Recall the history of England in the seventeenth century. Did not many say that the old social system had decayed? But did it not, nevertheless, require a Cromwell to crush it by force?

HG WELLS: Cromwell operated on the basis of the constitution and in the name of constitutional order…

STALIN: In the name of the constitution he resorted to violence, beheaded the king, dispersed Parliament, arrested some and beheaded others!

Touché, Stalin, touché. I only lost the thread of this book slightly at one point in the discussion of religious doctrine, otherwise it was highly enjoyable and thought-provoking. show less

"This is the classic life of Cromwell by one of the great radical historians of the English Civil War'A triumph of complex interpretation and delicious prose ... Hill introduced nuance into the character of Cromwell and the nature of his revolution ... the finest of guides to the man of the times" Tristram Hunt, The Guardian.