Gerrard Winstanley

Outstanding. An exciting and extremely well-written account of Winstanley's development as thinker and experimental communist, with a clear demonstration of his continuing relevance and his overlooked influence on modern social thought and art. No one knows the evidence better than Gurney and in this study he distils complex issues into a revealing and enjoyable narrative. It is a continuing reminder of why in our world the experiences of the seventeenth century still matter. -- Nigel Smith, William and Annie S. Paton Foundation Professor of Ancient and Modern Literature, Princeton University This is a clear-eyed yet sympathetic account of one of the most baffling figures of the English Revolution. Gurney's painstaking research provides a wealth of new information that is assembled into a highly readable narrative. An informative and thought-provoking book. -- Mark Kishlansky, Frank Baird Jr. Professor of History at Harvard University This admirably succinct and clear guide to the complex career and thought of Gerrard Winstanley pays full attention to the ambiguities of the evidence and range of interpretation his writings have supported. By doing so, it offers a fascinating commentary on the complex and shifting world of radical thought during the revolutionary decades as a whole and a stimulating introduction to a number of wider, historiographical debates. -- Mike Braddick, Professor of History at the University of Sheffield