A riveting account of the five heated months in which King Charles I attempted to arrest five dissident Members of Parliament by bringing an armed force to the House of Commons— a shocking act of political terrorism that pushed England toward civil war and planted the seeds of the American Revolution
“ Netflix should make this enjoyable English civil war history into an epic drama. . . . You could hardly find a more engrossing or exciting story. ” — Dominic Sandbrook, The Times (London)
“ A lucid, fast-paced and exhilarating account. . . . The House of Cards-ish drama remains gripping to the last. ” — John Adamson, Literary Review
In 1641, England exits a plague-ridden and politically unstable summer having reached a semblance of peace: the English and Scottish armies have disbanded, legislation has passed to ensure Parliament will continue to sit, and the people are tentatively optimistic. But King Charles I is not satisfied with peace— he wants revenge.
So begins England’ s winter of discontent. As revolutionary sects of London begin to generate new ideas about democracy, as radical new religious groups seek power, and as Ireland explodes into revolt, Charles hatches a plan to restore his absolute rule. On January 4, 1642, he marches on Westminster, seeking to arrest and impeach five Members of Parliament— and so sets in motion a series of events that will lead to bloodshed and war, changing a nation forever.
The Blood in Winter tells the story of an English people’ s great political awakening. Jonathan Healey utilizes meticulous archival research to re-create the claustrophobic atmosphere of the day, with rowdy protestors in the streets and London blanketed in coal smoke. Taut and thrilling, Healey’ s newest social history shows us what really happened in those fraught winter months that led to civil war. From the radical enclaves of London public houses to a king forced from his capital by the people, it is a rich tapestry of a society in profound distress.
