Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell rose from provincial gentleman and parliamentarian to cavalry commander, leading general and eventually Lord Protector after the overthrow and execution of Charles I. Corrigan follows his transformation during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, assessing the military qualities that helped Parliament prevail and the political decisions that placed Cromwell at the centre of England’s republican experiment.

The book confronts the sharply divided legacy that followed, particularly the conquest of Ireland and the killings at Drogheda and Wexford, alongside Cromwell’s support for a powerful army and a limited degree of religious toleration. Rather than offering a simple verdict, Corrigan considers how soldier, revolutionary and head of state became entwined in a career that still supports radically different interpretations.