Stevie Davies

	A CENTURY OF TROUBLES: ENGLAND 1600-1700

1	One of the most turbulent and eventful centuries in English history is well-chronicled in this entertaining book. It is appropriately published during Guy Fawkes week, at the end of a season of documentary films on Channel Four about the period. With terrorism on everyone's mind, it is fascinating to be reminded of the details of the infamous Gunpowder Plot in 1605, when dissident Roman Catholics nearly blew up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening. If the plot had succeeded, King James and his wife, along with many MPs and peers, would probably have been killed. And the after-effects of the outrage would have included a pogrom against large numbers of innocent Roman Catholics. Today, when many believe that judgement in Britain is often weighed too heavily in favour of the criminal, it is chilling to be reminded of the punishment meted out to the Gunpowder Plot conspirators. They were hanged, cut down still alive, disembowelled, castrated, their hearts were ripped out and the bodies decapitated and placed at various points in London. Anyone who had publicly suggested that this punishment was too extreme would probably have risked suffering the same fate. This readable book covers the complexities of the Civil War, the birth of the Commonwealth and subsequent restoration of the monarchy, as well as the Glorious Revolution of 1688. It also contains new evidence on and insight into the Gunpowder Plot, Oliver Cromwell, the Plague and the Fire of London in 1666.
	Bolton Evening News (Versions of this review also appeared in several other English newspapers as well as newspapers in Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland.)

2	Accompanying the Channel 4 documentary series, this is a colourful account of England in the 17th century. Terror, intrigue, ambition and death – the 17th century in England was an era of dramatic and unprecedented events dictated by religious and parliamentary conflict. In this lively narrative, Stevie Davies tells the political and social story of England during this period. Coverage spans from James VI of Scotland’s ascension to the English throne as James I, through the English Civil War to the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688. The book contains coverage of all the significant events of the century, and also has extended descriptive chapters which feature new evidence and insight from contemporary experts on the Gunpowder Plot, Oliver Cromwell, the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London. A Century of Troubles is a gripping tribute to an age which featured some of English history’s most famous events and personalities.
	The History Guild