The swordsmen in power

Professor Hainsworth's study of the English Republic traces its birth at the execution of Charles I in 1649 to its extinction with the restoration of Charles II in 1660, combining political, military and naval history. The first half of the book is devoted to the Commonwealth's formation and its struggles against its domestic and foreign enemies. The second half of the book examines the rule of the Protector, his court, internal and external policies, and the unnecessary war with Spain, with its combination of naval glory and futile expenditure of blood and treasure. The final three chapters describe the decline and death of Cromwell, the fall of his successor, Richard Cromwell, and the political confusion which is resolved by General Monck and his Scottish regiments during the winter of 1659/60, culminating in the extraordinary, quite unexpected restoration of Charles II in May 1660.