100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

Civil War

The History of England Volume III
4.0 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 2,417 ratings, 266 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Civil War by Peter Ackroyd delves into the turbulent period of the English Civil Wars, focusing on the political and social upheavals that shaped the nation. Ackroyd offers a vivid portrayal of the conflict between the monarchy and parliament, capturing the lives and struggles of those involved. Narrated with rich detail, the book explores how the wars transformed England's future.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Civil War. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are fascinated by the complex political struggles, dramatic battles, and vibrant personalities that shaped England during the 17th century. Peter Ackroyd's narrative style brings the era to life, making it an engaging read for history enthusiasts.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The third volume of Peter Ackroyd's magisterial six-part History of England, taking readers from the accession of the first Stuart king, James I, to the overthrow of his grandson, James II.

The third volume of Peter Ackroyd's magisterial six-part History of England, taking readers from the accession of the first Stuart king, James I, to the overthrow of his grandson, James II.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Civil War by Peter Ackroyd is a masterful continuation of his stunning exploration of England's history. This volume begins with the ascension of James VI of Scotland to the English throne as James I, following the death of Elizabeth I. It traces the tumultuous and riveting history of England under the Stuart dynasty, concluding with the dramatic deposition and subsequent exile of James II. The book meticulously charts the complex and often brutal events that characterised the Stuart era, focusing on the political and social upheavals that forever changed the realm.

The unification of England and Scotland under the Stuarts brought about significant political ramifications, despite the continued divisions that echoed through the ages. Ackroyd delves deeply into the key figures of this period, presenting a vivid and intricate portrait of the first Stuart king, James I. With his shrewd and opinionated nature, James I was an eloquent commentator on diverse matters, ranging from theology and witchcraft to the abuses of tobacco. However, his contentious relationship with the English Parliament laid the groundwork for the division that would erupt during the reign of his son, Charles I.

Ackroyd's narrative introduces readers to the various personalities and events that defined the Stuart era, including the intense and cruel civil war that led to the unprecedented execution of a reigning monarch. The portrayal of Oliver Cromwell, Parliament's formidable military leader and England's sole dictator, is particularly striking. Ackroyd paints a complex picture of Cromwell, who began as a political liberator and ended as a despotic figure, mirroring the tyrant he helped overthrow.

The seventeenth century was a period of remarkable cultural and social development, vividly brought to life by Ackroyd's engaging prose. The era's rich literary landscape featured the later works of Shakespeare, the profound tragedies of the Jacobean theatre, the passionate poetry of John Donne and Milton, and the incisive philosophical musings of Thomas Hobbes in his treatise, Leviathan. Civil War offers a visceral sense of the daily lives of ordinary English men and women as they navigated the relentless disruptions and uncertainties of their time.

PRAISE FOR THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND SERIES:

"Ackroyd's trademark insight and wit, and the glorious interconnectedness of all things, permeate each page" - Observer

"Ackroyd writes with such lightly worn erudition and a deceptive ease that he never fails to engage" - Daily Telegraph

"In pages of limpid detail, Ackroyd makes history accessible to the layman" - Ian Thomson, Independent

Series: The History of England

View all
  • Foundation
    The first volume in a new six-part history of England from acclaimed author Peter Ackroyd. Having written enthralling biographies of London and of its great river, the Thames, Peter Ackroyd now turns to England itself. This first volume of six takes us from the time that England was first settled, more than 15,000 years ago, to the death in 1509...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Tudors
    Tudors by Peter Ackroyd transports readers back to one of the most fascinating and dramatic periods in British history. Rich in detail and atmosphere, and told in vivid prose, this enthralling narrative captures the transformation of England from a settled Catholic country to a formidable Protestant superpower. The book intricately traces the tumultuous reigns of the Tudor monarchs, beginning with...
    Paperback
    $7300
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Civil War
    Civil War by Peter Ackroyd is a masterful continuation of his stunning exploration of England's history. This volume begins with the ascension of James VI of Scotland to the English throne as James I, following the death of Elizabeth I. It traces the tumultuous and riveting history of England under the Stuart dynasty, concluding with the dramatic deposition and subsequent...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Revolution
    Revolution, the fourth volume of Peter Ackroyd's enthralling History of England, begins in 1688 with a revolution and ends in 1815 with a famous victory. In it, Ackroyd takes readers from William of Orange's accession following the Glorious Revolution to the Regency, when the flamboyant Prince of Wales ruled in the stead of his mad father, George III, and England...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Dominion
    The penultimate volume of Peter Ackroyd's masterful History of England series, Dominion begins in 1815 as national glory following the Battle of Waterloo gives way to post-war depression, spanning the last years of the Regency to the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901. In it, Ackroyd takes us from the accession of the profligate George IV, whose government was...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Innovation
    Ackroyd makes history accessible to the layman - Ian Thomson, Independent Innovation brings Peter Ackroyd's History of England to a triumphant close. In it, Ackroyd takes readers from the end of the Boer War and the accession of Edward VII to the end of the twentieth century, when his great-granddaughter Elizabeth II had been on the throne for almost five...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Civil War by Peter Ackroyd receives praise for its engaging narrative and thorough research. Readers appreciate its vivid depiction of the tumultuous period, highlighting Ackroyd’s ability to bring historical events and figures to life. Critics commend the book's accessibility and depth, making complex history understandable and enjoyable.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781447271697

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 May 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Pan Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 34.0mm

Width: 133.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 358g

Pages: 528

About the Author

Peter Ackroyd is an award-winning novelist, as well as a broadcaster, biographer, poet and historian. He is the author of the acclaimed non-fiction bestsellers, Thames: Sacred River and London: The Biography. He holds a CBE for services to literature and lives in London.

Also by Peter Ackroyd

View all
  • Foundation
    The first volume in a new six-part history of England from acclaimed author Peter Ackroyd. Having written enthralling biographies of London and of its great river, the Thames, Peter Ackroyd now turns to England itself. This first volume of six takes us from the time that England was first settled, more than 15,000 years ago, to the death in 1509...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Tudors
    Tudors by Peter Ackroyd transports readers back to one of the most fascinating and dramatic periods in British history. Rich in detail and atmosphere, and told in vivid prose, this enthralling narrative captures the transformation of England from a settled Catholic country to a formidable Protestant superpower. The book intricately traces the tumultuous reigns of the Tudor monarchs, beginning with...
    Paperback
    $7300
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The English Soul
    The English Soul portrays the spirit and nature of English Christianity as it has developed over the last 1,400 years. As the predominant faith of the people, Christianity has been the reflection, perhaps the embodiment, of the English soul. This fascinating new history argues that Christianity has been the anchoring and defining doctrine of England, while accepting respectfully that other...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Colours of London
    Celebrated novelist, biographer, and critic Peter Ackroyd paints a vivid picture of one of the world's greatest cities in this brilliant and original work, exploring how the city's many hues have come to shape its history and identity. Think of the colours of London, and what do you imagine? The reds of open-top buses and terracotta bricks? The grey smog...
    Hardback
    $6500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The English Soul
    Now available in paperback, The English Soul portrays the spirit and nature of English Christianity as it has developed over the last 1,400 years. As the predominant faith of the people, Christianity has been the reflection, perhaps the embodiment, of the English soul. This fascinating new history argues that Christianity has been the anchoring and defining doctrine of England, while...
    Paperback
    $5000
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The English Actor
    The English Actor charts the uniquely English approach to stagecraft. In thirty chapters, Peter Ackroyd describes, with superb narrative skill, the genesis of actingβ€”deriving from the Church tradition of Mystery Playsβ€”through the flourishing of the craft in the Renaissance to modern methods that followed the advent of film and television. The biographies of the most notable and celebrated actors are...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The English Actor
    The English Actor charts the uniquely English approach to stagecraft. In thirty chapters, Peter Ackroyd describes, with superb narrative skill, the genesis of actingβ€”deriving from the Church tradition of Mystery Playsβ€”through the flourishing of the craft in the Renaissance to modern methods that followed the advent of film and television. The biographies of the most notable and celebrated actors are...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Forgotten London
    No city shaped the modern world quite like London - a powerhouse of trade, finance and empire, the centre of global influence in the nineteenth century. But beyond the familiar stories of power and politics, its true life played out in the streets, where market traders, music hall crowds and factory workers gave it its vitality, its light and its...
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Auden
    Peter Ackroyd's compelling portrait of W. H. Auden, poet of a restless century. Of all the English poets born in the twentieth century, Wystan Hugh Auden is by far the most significant. This forthright biography explores the evolution of his poetic voice in tandem with his shifting beliefsβ€”Existentialism, Marxism, Freudianism, and Anglo-Catholicismβ€”reflecting the intellectual climate of the century. Rooted in...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Revolution
    Revolution, the fourth volume of Peter Ackroyd's enthralling History of England, begins in 1688 with a revolution and ends in 1815 with a famous victory. In it, Ackroyd takes readers from William of Orange's accession following the Glorious Revolution to the Regency, when the flamboyant Prince of Wales ruled in the stead of his mad father, George III, and England...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Dominion
    The penultimate volume of Peter Ackroyd's masterful History of England series, Dominion begins in 1815 as national glory following the Battle of Waterloo gives way to post-war depression, spanning the last years of the Regency to the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901. In it, Ackroyd takes us from the accession of the profligate George IV, whose government was...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Innovation
    Ackroyd makes history accessible to the layman - Ian Thomson, Independent Innovation brings Peter Ackroyd's History of England to a triumphant close. In it, Ackroyd takes readers from the end of the Boer War and the accession of Edward VII to the end of the twentieth century, when his great-granddaughter Elizabeth II had been on the throne for almost five...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from History & Military

View all
  • Saving Elli
    One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Spy and the Traitor
    The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Man's Search For Meaning
    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Betrayal
    β€˜Tom Bower is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic storyteller and a master of intricacies.’ Sunday Times The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. At a landmark moment in royal history, can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the Royal family? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed
    New Release
    The Chief and the Empire
    The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential Māori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the Pākehā world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Shattered Lands
    'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Goliath’s Curse
    Goliath’s Curse by Luke Kemp offers a radical retelling of human history through the lens of collapse, delving into what this means for our uncertain future. This narrative spans from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twenty-first century and beyond. It's grounded in the latest research and a comprehensive database of more than 440...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Good Settler
    β€˜Where once I saw a view as I drove around the Taranaki coast along State Highway 45, I now see confiscated land from an invasion road. The creation story I used to subscribe to, the one in which hard-working people came here and settled the land, now jars. Weirdly, even the lawn looks different. The form of things just won’t...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Banjara
    A powerful literary debut from an astonishing new Kiwi voice, focusing on the Indo-Fijian indenture system and how it affected generations across the Pacific.Rajasthan 1888: Avani Rathod, a nomad of the Banjara community, is summoned to teach a blue-eyed colonial officer the trees of her region, but instead is misled into indenture to the sugarcane plantations of Fiji. While on...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • This Way Up
    The debut book from the YouTube sensation and all-round cartographical nerds, The Map Men! In their long-awaited debut, YouTube’s Map Men bring their highly infectious enthusiasm for everything map-related to the printed page for the very first time, in a brilliantly entertaining and eye-catching tome. Packed with humour and fascinating facts, This Way Up takes a deep dive into the...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.