Oliver Cromwell and the Rule of the Puritans in England

Firth, C. H. (Charles Harding), 1857-1936Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.2
Word count
775K words
Chapters
78

Tags

English Originals World HistoryPolitical and Military Leaders Historical ReappraisalPolitical AllegoryPortrait GalleryMilitary CommandersPower GameAntiheroComplex HumanityPatriotismMoral DilemmaAcademic Study

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Oliver Cromwell and the Rule of the Puritans in England by C. H. FirthAuthor: Firth, C. H. (Charles Harding), 1857-1936,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Jun 4, 2018

Editor's review

This is a classic study by the British historian Charles Harding Firth on Oliver Cromwell and the rule of the Puritans in England, released by Project Gutenberg as a free e-book. Firth long worked on editing 17th-century English historical documents, and this book is solidly narrated and attentive to historical evidence, placing Cromwell within the political and religious context of the Civil War, the Commonwealth, and the Protectorate, writing both of his military and political decisions and of the tension between Puritan ideals and real power. The book carefully examines the relations among Parliament, the army, the church, and local governance, making it suitable as an introductory reference for understanding the history of the English Revolution, and also for extended reading by readers interested in early modern European political and religious issues. The original is in English, dense with terms and names; reading alongside a chronology or introductory materials is recommended for clearer guidance.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Read the table of contents and introduction first to establish a chronological framework of the Civil War, the Commonwealth, and the Protectorate.
  2. Prepare a character list and chronology, and consult them as you go when encountering dense names to avoid confusing the threads.
  3. Read selectively by chapter according to political, military, and religious themes; there is no need to read the whole book straight through.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
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  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
  47. 47
  48. 48
  49. 49
  50. 50
  51. 51
  52. 52
  53. 53
  54. 54
  55. 55
  56. 56
  57. 57
  58. 58
  59. 59
  60. 60
  61. 61
  62. 62
  63. 63
  64. 64
  65. 65
  66. 66
  67. 67
  68. 68
  69. 69
  70. 70
  71. 71
  72. 72
  73. 73
  74. 74
  75. 75
  76. 76
  77. 77
  78. 78

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background in British history? It can be read, but some preparation is needed. The book involves many 17th-century English figures, parliamentary factions, and religious factions, which are easily confused without a foundation. It is advisable first to understand the basic outline of the English Civil War and the Commonwealth, then read alongside a chronology and character list for better results.
What are the characteristics of the book's stance and approach? The author, Firth, is a British historian who emphasizes historical sources; his narrative centers on political and constitutional threads while also considering religious and military factors. He generally takes an analytical attitude toward Cromwell, affirming his role while not shying away from the controversies of Puritan rule, making the book a suitable reference for understanding different historiographical interpretations.
What should be noted when reading the electronic edition? This book is an English e-book published by Project Gutenberg, laid out mainly as plain text; notes and index may be less convenient than in a paper edition. A searchable reading application is recommended; look up names and places as you encounter them and keep your own chapter notes.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Firth, C. H. (Charles Harding), 1857-1936 Author

Charles Harding Firth (1857–1936) was a British historian known for his work on seventeenth-century English political and military history. This library holds one of his works, Oliver Cromwell and the Rule of the Puritans in England, which deals with the history of Oliver Cromwell and the period of Puritan rule. Public information about other aspects of his life is limited, and no conjecture is offered here. The work shows Firth's interest in the relationship between political figures and the institutions of their time; grounded in historical sources, his narrative is clear and restrained, and he is skilled at tracing causes and consequences amid complex historical developments. He wrote for both general readers and scholars, in a style that is rigorous yet readable, and his relevant works remain important references for understanding the Cromwell era.