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Cromwell, Our Chief Of Men (Paperback, Reissue)
Loot Price: R423
Discovery Miles 4 230
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Cromwell, Our Chief Of Men (Paperback, Reissue)
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List price R517
Loot Price R423
Discovery Miles 4 230
You Save R94 (18%)
Expected to ship within 9 - 15 working days
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Total price: R433
Discovery Miles: 4 330
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Antonia Fraser seems to have a penchant for arguing the case of the
unloved and (she would claim) misunderstood characters of history.
She has written about Mary Queen of Scots and most recently Marie
Antoinette, and in this biography she attempts to 'humanise' Oliver
Cromwell. If anyone is equal to the task of rescuing the reputation
of a man most well known for Puritanism and regicide, it is Fraser.
Although this is a thoroughly researched book, and the breadth of
detail she offers is immense, she always makes the reader feel as
if she is passing on gossip about a mutual friend, rather than
lecturing or teaching. She provides a wealth of detail about
Cromwell the man - his relationship with his friends and family,
his deep religious faith and dedication to justice. Inevitably,
because of the scarcity of first-hand evidence about his inner
life, some of what Fraser suggests to the reader is pure
speculation, but it never feels as if she is being anything other
than cautious and even-handed in her guesswork. And although her
view of Cromwell is a positive one, she resists the temptation to
overlook his failings, most notably the massacres he ordered in
Ireland. Instead she makes a sincere attempt to understand the life
and motivations of a man whose actions still echo in the events of
the 21st century. This is a very long book, and on occasions some
of the numerous descriptions of tenuous family connections can
become laborious (although to be fair to Fraser, they are
necessitated by the fact that many of the major characters in
Cromwell's political life seem to have been related to him).
However, readers prepared to invest the time in reading this book
will discover an insightful and erudite portrait of a complex
figure in British history. (Kirkus UK)
No Englishman has made more impact on the history of his nation
than Oliver Cromwell; few have been so persistently maligned in the
folklore of history. The central purpose of Antonia Fraser's book
is the recreation of his life and character, freed from the
distortions of myth and Royalist propaganda. Cromwell was a man of
contradictions and surprising charm. The ruthless Psalm-singing
General of the battlefields was also a country gentleman who, after
his victory at Worcester paused to hawk in the fields nearby; the
stern Puritan was also an exceptionally doting father; the most
decisive and ruthless of commanders was also the passionate
connoisseur of music; the strong man of England was prey to
exhausting prolonged bouts of irresolution and as Lord Protector
kept England on tenterhooks for a week while he wrestled with his
conscience whether to accept the Crown. Of Cromwell's fitness for
high office, both military and civil, this text leaves no doubt.
Under his rule English prestige abroad rose to a level unequalled
since Elizabeth I. Yet - as Antonia Fraser's assessment shows - his
campaign in Ireland has cast a shadow over his reputation. This
biography displays insight into t
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