The final volume of the three-volume history of Parliament and Cromwell in the 17th century, concentrating on the trial and execution of King Charles I, and the 61 men known as ‘the regicides’.

Vivid detail of the ‘inner civil war’ that raged between the radicals and the moderates on the Parliament side, as seen in the various counties of England.

The moderates were so determined to destroy their enemies inside Parliament that it mattered more to them than defeating the royalists. This horrifying state of affairs has never before been so vividly brought to light, and shows the underside of what a civil war really means for a society.

The period of Cromwell’s rule is portrayed and seen through the eyes of both the regicides who hated and despised it, and those who joined and supported it. Once allies, many were turned into bitter enemies. Supporters of Cromwell were inclined towards authoritarianism, but the hard-core radicals supported an open and democratic government with law reform, wider franchise, and above all, no dictator.

A section of this final volume surveys the subject of religion which permeated every aspect of events at this time. Amongst the regicides there existed a ‘rainbow coalition’ which eventually fell apart. From non-believer Henry Marten to Thomas Harrison who believed that the Second Coming of Jesus was only months away, religious fervour was in the forefront of every other struggle. And some consulted astrologers for advice on policy.