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The Blazing World

A New History of Revolutionary England

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The Blazing World

By: Dr Jonathan Healey
Narrated by: Oliver Hembrough
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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents The Blazing World by Jonathan Healey, read by Oliver Hembrough.

A WATERSTONES, TELEGRAPH, ECONOMIST AND NEW YORKER BOOK OF THE YEAR
A major new history of England's turbulent seventeenth century and how it marked the birth of a new world

'This is a wonderful book, exhaustively researched, vigorously argued and teeming with the furious joy of seventeenth-century life' The Times

'A brilliant, bloody account of England's most dramatic century . . . Thrilling' Telegraph

The seventeenth century began as the English suddenly found themselves ruled by a Scotsman, and ended in the shadow of an invasion by the Dutch. Under James I, the country suffered terrorism and witch panics. Under his son Charles, state and society collapsed into civil war, to be followed by an army coup and regicide. For a short time – for the only time in history – England was a republic. There were bitter struggles over faith and no boundaries to politics. In the coffee shops and alehouses of plague-ridden London, new ideas were forged that were angry, populist and almost impossible for monarchs to control.

Despite the radical changes that transformed England, few today understand the story of this revolutionary age. Leaders like Oliver Cromwell, Charles II, and William of Orange have been reduced to caricatures, while major turning points like the Civil War and the Glorious Revolution have become shrouded in myth and misunderstanding. Yet the seventeenth century has never been more relevant. The British constitution is once again being contested, and we face a culture war reminiscent of when the Roundheads fought the Cavaliers.

From raw politics to religious divisions, civil wars to witch trials, plague to press freedoms, The Blazing World is the story of a strange but fascinating century, told in sparkling detail. Drawing on vast archives, Jonathan Healey refreshes our understanding of public figures while simultaneously taking us into the lives of ordinary people to illuminate a revolutionary society that forged a new world.

©2023 Jonathan Healey (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Europe Great Britain England Civil War War Royalty France Witchcraft King

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All stars
Most relevant  
So much of relevance to current times. Told well and brilliantly read. Huge cast of characters, many will stay with you as so neatly made distinct. Interesting speculation on what might have been as well as what was.

Foundations of our crumbling order explained

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A sumptuous history of the 17th c delivered in a novelistic style and crammed with plum rich characters. Paced like a thriller the momentum builds to a glorious climax. Nice work Dr H.

A revolutionary history

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I seldom write reviews, but this book is, without doubt, the very finest on its subject that it’s ever been my pleasure to read. Can’t recommend it highly enough to those among us fascinated by the English Civil Wars. By trade, I teach Classical Studies and Archaeology but have several tangential areas that I like to study - the joy of knowledge for its own sake - in what spare time my perfect job allows me.

I think the advantage of this volume is that it takes in the whole world-turned-upside-down century, giving the reader the view of the whole picture as opposed to just the snapshot of the Civil Wars in and of themselves. If you’re already interested in the Civil Wars, it will give you the purview of the Before and the After, always an advantage, but also tells us how the ordinary populace of England (Scotland and Ireland) looked at the less-than-peaceful England they had known previously. If you are just interested in finding out, a beginner with an itch to scratch, you will not do better than this beautiful book to get you started on your journey.

Extraordinary!!

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A blow by blow account of the English Civil war and Commonwealth, their origins, aftermath and lasting significance. Recommended.

Thorough and informative

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Healey’s attention to detail and perspective brings us the 17th century in a new light. Hembrough’s reading is superb.

Astounding

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A genuinely interesting book. Unfortunately, the austere narration took the shine off it. Worth putting up with though.

Interesting book with austere narration

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Excellent book. I appreciated being given the full context for the period leading up to the Civil War. I was disappointed about the narrator’s woefully poor pronunciation of Irish place names, especially Drogheda. It’s a regular occurrence for English narrators to mispronounce Irish place names but given that they were being mentioned primarily in the context of Cromwellian massacres was annoying.

Excellent book

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Mr Healey brings the 17th century to life. It would make an excellent primer for the period. The narration is top quality also.
highly recommended.

Excellent !

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Really good new appraisal of the turmoil of 17th Century. The perspective is natural and far in it's outlook and content. Well worth reading or listening too.

Very well written and read.

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sometimes hard to follow because tone and pace of narrator is consistent. it would help if he changed pace and tone appropriately so the text did not sometimes blur together in my mind.

Great story with spotty pacing

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