The Blazing World - by Jonathan Healey

Those with an intelligent interest in history will no doubt have extensive knowledge of the Tudor Period, and of the 19th Century, when Britain effectively dominated the world, but the time of the Stuarts in the 17th is perhaps less explored, beyond the obvious period of the Civil War, and the Glorious Revolution. This book, while clearly covering those major events, also contains much more from what was a century full of turmoil, as well as detailing some amusing, and interesting facts.

Somewhat like the nation today there were many competing groups, divided on religion, economic problems and moral issues. Quite apart from the famous division between Royalists and Parliamentarians there were inter alia, Levellers, Diggers, Adamites, Anabaptists, Brownists, Arminianists, Covenanters, Abhorrers, Petitioners, plus many more. The religious groups founded, or evolving in the period, quite apart from Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism, included the sects of Quakers, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Calvinists and Puritans.

The shouting matches we endure today on social media pale into insignificance compared to the real world disputes of the 17th Century, which often resulted in deaths. The philosopher John Locke suggested that the Civil Wars could have been avoided 'had men been more sparing of their ink', and that 'furies, war, cruelty, rapine, confusion had all been conjured up in private studies', something the obsessives on social media might care to bear in mind.

Evil men such as Matthew Hopkins, the self proclaimed 'Witch-Finder General' sent innocent women to their death, although the worst of the witch trials were over by the end of the century.

The international scene was chaotic with Ireland suffering from the deprivations of Cromwell, the Scots being constantly involved in the conflict between the monarchy and parliament, while later in the century William of Orange came over from Holland to become the King, and fought the Battle of the Boyne, where he defeated the forces of James II, something which is still celebrated in Northern Ireland every year on the 12th of July.

The various monarchs come and go, James I with his parsimonious nature, and his questionable sexuality, Charles I with his arrogance and duplicitousness, the fun loving, and basically irresponsible Charles II, James II's fall due to his attempts to reverse the Anglicisation of Britain, the determination of William III to hold the crown, and the quieter existence of Mary and her sister Anne. Under the second Charles the names of his five leading ministers, Sir Thomas Clifford, Ashley Cooper, the Duke of Buckingham, The Earl of Arlington and the Duke of Lauderdale, give us the acronym Cabal, so often used in political abuse today.

The reputation of Oliver Cromwell will be forever stained by his actions in Ireland, but surprisingly he does appear to have been a moderate in some ways, his welcoming back of the Jewish people in 1656 being a case in point. He hoped that their readmittance would promote harmony and toleration, prevent disorder, and improve trade.

The Abhorrers became the Tories, an old Irish word for a bandit, while the Petitioners became Whigs, from 'Whiggamore', a term applied to Scottish rebel Presbyterians, these terms being applied to the main political parties until, in 1850, the Whigs merged with the Peelites and Radicals to form the Liberal party.

This is a lengthy book (430 pages), and abounds with characters, some famous, other not. It requires a number of rereading to absorb at least some of the details of just how turbulent the century was, but certainly justifies its title, as Britain in the 17th Century was indeed A Blazing World.