First published 2007
Oliver Cromwell has seized power in England, but governing proves harder than conquest. In Parliament, factions scheme and argue while Cromwell tries desperately to forge a working relationship with the representatives. From September 1654 onward, three successive parliaments convene and dissolve in chaos. Members debate foreign wars, question the franchise, and challenge the Protector's authority at every turn. Legal disputes pile up as judicial functions clash with political ambitions. When Oliver dies, his son Richard inherits not just the title of Lord Protector but the same impossible task of managing an unruly Parliament. The representatives grow bolder, the factions more entrenched. Richard lacks his father's iron will and military reputation. By April 1659, the third parliament collapses entirely, taking the Protectorate down with it. At its heart, this is a story about the loneliness of power and the weight of trying to build a stable government from the ashes of civil war.
Genres: history, political-science, politics, british-literature, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: political-intrigue
Setting: England
Period: 17th Century
Hardcover · Cambridge University Press