The Fiery Spirits - by John Rees (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The renowned historian John Rees tells the story of radical member of parliament Henry Marten and his allies, who played a pivotal role in the English Civil Wars. This brilliant work of narrative history portrays the people who brought the nation to the brink and whose dream of a kingdom without a crown set Britain alight in a revolution that shook the seventeenth-century world"--

Book Synopsis

The thrilling history of Parliament's 'fiery spirits', whose actions led to the defeat of Charles I in the English Civil War and paved the way for the execution of the King in 1649

The Fiery Spirits tells the story of the MPs in parliament and the protestors in the streets who played a pivotal role in the English Civil Wars. Through their stories, John Rees reveals the hidden history of the republicans who brought a desperate nation to the brink of revolution.

At the start of the English Civil Wars, very few could have imagined that the country would soon become a republic. Practically alone in his republicanism was Henry Marten, MP and future regicide. But he soon gathered around him a group of radical Parliamentarians that included William Strode, the parliamentary firebrand, Alexander Rigby, the formidable soldier, and Sir Peter Wentworth, descendant of a long line of opponents of monarchy. They formed the nucleus of a group that allied itself to a popular movement outside parliament to defeat the king politically and militarily.

In The Fiery Spirits, Rees tells how Marten and his radical allies overcame both moderate Parliamentarians and Royalists to change the face of England forever, establishing a kingdom without a crown.

Review Quotes

"John Rees offers a novel perspective on the English revolution, foregrounding a small group of influential MPs. He convincingly argues that these "fiery spirits" determined the course of the revolution, bringing about the establishment of the English republic. An essential and engaging read"
--Rachel Hammersley, author of Republicanism: An Introduction

"Outstanding ... [The Fiery Spirits] has extra resonance today."
--Andrew Murray, Morning Star

"The thrust of Rees's argument is clear: the fiery spirits raised the stakes so high that Parliament was no longer presented with a choice between moderation and radicalism, but between equally intense forms of revolution or reaction."
--Daniel Brooks, Telegraph

"The book is more than a historical account of how Parliament and the people of this country wrested control from a belligerent and arrogant monarchy and founded a democracy. Fascinating though that story is, what is more important, especially for parliamentarians, is the description of how a group of radical MPs, the "fiery spirits", could take on the might of a monarchical dictatorship, mobilise the masses of the common people and in doing so transform our society and political system forever."
--John McDonnell, Politics Home

About the Author

John Rees is an historian, broadcaster and campaigner. He is coauthor of A People's History of London and author of The Leveller Revolution and Timelines: A Political History of the Modern World, among other titles. He is a Visiting Research Fellow at Goldsmith's, University of London and a National Officer of the Stop the War Coalition.