Republic: Britain's Revolutionary Decade, 1649-1660 (Hardback) - Alice Hunt

A dazzling new history of the interregnum, a turbulent decade of republican rule

'An enthralling narrative of the rise and fall of Britain's republican experiment.'
DOMINIC SANDBROOK, The Times 'Best History Books of 2024'

'A gripping tale of political and cultural crisis but also one of joy and hopeful innovation, told with eloquence and passion.'
MALCOLM GASKILL

'Magisterial, compelling and eye-opening.'
SUZANNAH LIPSCOMB

Events moved with giddying speed in the 1650s. After the execution of Charles I, 'dangerous' monarchy was abolished and the House of Lords was dismissed, sending shock waves across the kingdom. These revolutionary acts set in motion a decade of bewildering change and instability, under the leadership of the soldier-statesman Oliver Cromwell.

England's unique and distinctive republican experiment may have been short-lived, but it changed the course of British history. It transformed the relationship between England, Scotland and Ireland, reset the compact between the monarch and the people, and re-fashioned the story the British told - and continue to tell - about themselves.

REPUBLIC is a richly engrossing year-by-year account of this exhilarating and daring period. It tells the story of what Britain's republic was really like: why it failed, but also, what it got right.

About the Author

Alice Hunt is Professor of Early Modern Literature and History at the University of Southampton. She was awarded a Leverhulme Trust fellowship to research this book. Alice is also the author of The Drama of Coronation (Cambridge University Press) and has previously written about the Tudors and James I. She lives in Winchester.