The Black Death by Hourly History - Book Review

This is a brief summary by Hourly History of the plague that ravaged Europe and several other parts of the world during the 14th century; known for wiping out an estimated 450 million people, much higher than both World Wars combined.

The book starts with the origin of the plague; which happens to be Central Asia, contrary to the popular notion that it was a European problem. The book talked about the fleas originating from modern day Kyrgyzstan moving and how it entered the European continent through Marseille in south west France. The book then went on to talk about the symptoms of the disease and how, nearly every family had a victim to the plague. It also talked about how the society tried to deal with it, mainly through religious means and appointing people known as plague doctors, who attempted to heal the sick; though, the flaw was that appointment required no knowledge on medicine and most of them used to deploy random techniques, including certain brutal means such as flagellation of the sick as they considered that it was happening owing to their sins. It also touched upon the other perceptions of the society back then, such as blaming the plague on the Jews and leading to their widespread persecution (six centuries before Hitler). The book then talked about how this talked about how literature flourished during this period, including Chaucer's Canterbury Tales which touches upon the devastation caused by the plague in some of its stories. The book ends on how despite the tragedy of the plague, Europe needed the tragedy to come out of the Dark Age which eventually led to the renaissance as society began to realise that religion was not the solution to all their problems.

I enjoyed reading the book because I knew very little about the event barring the fact that it was caused by rodents carrying fleas and wiped out nearly 50% of the European population (in fact, didn't even know that it had impact in Africa and Asia). Moreover, the book also brought out several interesting aspects such as the plague doctors and in fact, the fact that the French seer Nostradamus himself was a plague doctor during a much later period in time and in fact, his solutions were scientifically most viable to the problem. I also liked it how the book chose to highlight the positive aspects that emerged out of the tragedy such as the improvement in literature and also the eventual Renaissance, which has brought Europe where she is today.

The only worrying fact that the book brought out is perhaps the fact that these diseases still exist to this day, mainly in Africa and despite all innovations in medicine, if contacted with the disease, the probability of survival is very low.

I had very low expectations when I started reading the book since, I am not the best when it comes to reading about such extreme tragedy but then, despite the expectations, the book turned out to be highly informative and I really am amazed at how the book managed to squeeze in so much information in a very short book. On the whole, I would award the book an eight on ten.

Rating - 8/10

Have a nice day,

Andy

Titanic by Hourly History - Book Review

This is about the tragic maritime accident in the Atlantic Ocean during the early 20th Century summarised by Hourly History. The wreckage of Titanic was long shrouded in mystery and till date, there is no conclusive evidence as to why it happened as, during the past, several other ships have survived ice berg accidents. However, despite there being so many similar maritime accidents in history, this was made popular by the Oscar winning movie of James Cameron.

The book starts with the building of Titanic by the White Star Line company who wished to build the best luxury ships ever created; including the third class deck, which was better than the standard third class decks of the other ships of its time. The book then goes on to dispel the myths about the Titanic being; the White Star Line company never claimed it to be unsinkable and that it was more of a public perception and also the fact that the ship did have life boats enough to satisfy the government regulations back then. The book then goes on describing the famous personalities on board the ship and also, the eventual drowning, deaths and the rescue operation and with a conclusion on how though this event was tragic, it led to development of a lot of more stringent maritime safety regulations reducing the number of accidents.

I liked the fact that the book dispelled myths, considering, it is still widely believed that the company believed the ships to be unsinkable and thus, they didn't have sufficient life boats on board. Additionally, I also liked how the book described the various activities and pastimes in the ship. The book also commented on how this incident improved the future of maritime travel and also talked certain interesting personalities such as Margaret Brown who forced to redirect her lifeboat to save the people from the location of the debris. 

While this was hardly the fault of the book, I felt too many personalities were introduced; and beyond a point, I started losing track since there was so much details about various business persons who travelled on board.

On the whole, I felt this was a good read, especially considering the amount of myths that it dispelled. I would award the book a rating of seven.

Rating - 7/10

Have a nice day,

Andy 

Che Guevara: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History - Book Review

This is a short biography on the well known Latin American revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara by Hourly History. Most of us would have heard of Guevara, if not for his revolution, definitely because of the merchandises around; such as t-shirts, bags,etc. with his face. At least, that was how I got to know about him first.

So, this book starts with how Che Guevara's life as a student of medicine in Buenos Aires and then, the break he took to tour the poorest areas of Latin America which made him very convinced about Communist and left wing ideologies. It then elaborated on how his journey led him to support a revolution in Guatemala against the incumbent dictator Arbenz and the eventual victory of the revolutionaries. The book then talks about the meeting between Raul Castro (Fidel's brother and current head of state of Cuba) and Guevara which led to the meeting with Fidel and beginning of the revolution against the Batista government in Cuba and suppression of the American aided Bay of Pigs Invasion the success of which led to the consolidation of power by Castro and Guevara. The book then talks about his skills as a diplomat in Cuba - striking alliances with Soviet Union, later on with China and also touches upon his travels around Africa and Asia. Eventually, the book focuses on his fallout with Fidel Castro, leading to his exile in Bolivia and eventual downfall.

The book covered nearly every aspect of Guevara, the origins of how he became a revolutionary, his personal life, his skills as a diplomat and final days as a guerilla warrior in Bolivia. The book was also concise and delivered on the promise of giving his biography in an hour.

However, with that said, this has the usual fallout of an Hourly History biography; wherein they try to completely glorify the person involved that the negative aspects of the person whom they have chosen are never brought out. In fact, the book hardly talks about his gruesome killings (despite being a doctor himself), suppression of dissent in Cuba (despite claiming to be a liberal himself), his opposition to foreign presence in Cuba, despite his pursuit of Chinese and Soviet investment in Cuba and ironically, Guevara not being native to Cuba himself, his endorsement of dictators despite his opposition to imperialist suppression. None of these contradictions in Guevara were brought out. However, the book did bring out saying that while people would debate Guevara's legacy; nobody can deny his passion to fight for his convictions; nonetheless, passion is not an excuse for all the things that Guevara did.

However, this book is still a good read for those who wish to know why he has become such a cult figure all over the world as this does tell largely about all the positive aspects of the revolutionary. On the whole, I would award the book a five on ten.

Rating - 5/10

Have a nice day,

Andy

American History in 50 Events by Hourly History - Book Review

This is a book by hourly history covering the history of the United States with a short summary of fifty major events.

This book starts with the Viking discovery of the North American lands and then, directly shifts to the European settlers arriving during the late 17th and 18th Centuries. From thereon, the book covers every major event, such as the war of independence, the election of the first President, moving on to the expansion of US; the eventual Civil War and then the modern era where the United States emerged as a superpower.

I felt the selection of the 50 events were good; that it covered most of the major events, and to my knowledge, I am not able to recall any very significant misses. The book was also very concise in bringing out the historical details as it covered how the government and systems were first established, how the territory expanded, the wars that the US fought and the origins of two of the major corporates in US; being Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company and Andrew Carnegie's Steel Company. The book could be very useful for young Americans who wish to know about their country in an hour and as an addendum to that statement, this book does satisfy the objective of narrating history of the United States in under an hour.

However, what I felt was that while it dedicated segments to corporates, there could have been at least a small segment on the sporting achievements such as hosting of the Olympics in Los Angeles and Atlanta and also; while events were dedicated to the two early corporates, the Silicon Valley boom could have also been touched upon in the last segment of the book.

This is an excellent, short and concise read on American history and would be useful for anyone who wish to know the background of the country they keep hearing about all the time.

I would award the book a rating of seven.

Rating - 7/10

Have a nice day,

Andy 

French and Indian War by Hourly History - Book Review

This is a short summary of the war between the British and the French during the late 18th Century (part of the Seven years war) for control over North America; with Native Americans choosing whom to back depending on their own strategic interests.

The book starts with the background to the war and the events leading up to it; how the French initially had an upper hand because of the strategic support by some of the native American tribes; the differences of opinion between the French generals Montcalm and Marquis Vanderuil which started the downfall of the French in the war. It goes on to describe the strategies employed by William Pitt, the then Prime Minister of Great Britain and how his relentless pursuit to retain colonies in the New World led to the success of the British forces. The book ends with how this war was the beginning of the movement for American independence owing to the taxes imposed on the settlers by the British to recover the costs of war.

This book was structured very well and focused on both, the French and the British side equally and brought out the reasons for the initial success of the French, the reason for the resurgence of the British and the role of the Native American tribes in the war. I also liked it as to how the author went on to describe the consequences of this war to the British Empire. The book also gave considerable information on the personalities involved in the war, such as Montcalm, Vanderuil, Dieskau, Abercromby, Washington and Amherst.

However, I would have liked it if there was some more content on the Native American involvement and on what basis each chose their side; for the book ended it in one line stating that the Natives had to choose a side in order to protect their own strategic interests. Additionally, I have the same point to make again; what I had made earlier in my review of British History in 50 events by Hourly History; wherein, the book continues to refer to the country as England even though the war took place during the 1750s, nearly five decades after the Act of Union, 1707.

I felt the content of the book was good, for I got to know a lot about a topic which I didn't know about earlier and to be frank, when I first read the title; I imagined that this book was going to be about the Carnatic Wars; while I was aware of the war in the Americas because of a painting by Benjamin West (given below) and the eventual British victory but that was all I knew about it.

Depiction of William Johnson saving Dieskau's life after the Battle of Lake George

On the whole, I would award the book a rating of seven on ten.

Rating - 7/10

Have a nice day,

Andy

Woodrow Wilson: A Life from Beginning to End by Hourly History – Book Review

This is a short biography on the American war time president, Woodrow Wilson, often said as one of the greatest presidents to have occupied the Oval Office. I had known about Woodrow Wilson only for a few things; popular president, president during First World War and floated the idea of The League of Nations, and of course, a beneficiary of the Taft-Roosevelt struggle in the Republican Party.

The book starts with Wilson’s background; born in the Southern States with his father being a supporter of the Confederate regime during the American Civil War. It then goes on to talk about his academic accomplishments and his career as an academic and the reforms he introduced at the university now known as Princeton. It also talked about his progressive stance on various issues including his absolute belief in democracy and the need to liberate people (ironically, it took him a long time to support the women’s suffrage movement and endorse their right to vote). The book also talks about his family and how, during the days when he was ill, his wife, Edith had de facto (debated) control over the Oval Office. The book also touches upon how Wilson was forced into war, though; he was against war himself and talks about his forming of The League of Nations (where, ironically, US didn’t join because of Senate opposition).

I was glad that I picked up the book on Wilson so that I have some knowledge on the person touted to be one of the greatest presidents of US and I felt the book did a good job in summarising his entire life in a short biography (to be honest, it took me more than an hour). Wilson’s policies and convictions were brought out well during the book and the period of his sickness where the allegation of the First Lady running the government was also elaborated in fair detail.

My only possible problem with the book was the introduction; I believe the book was launched on 27^th January, 2017 since that is the date I received it from Hourly History; however the book talked about potential of a woman becoming the President for the first time in 2016 election; seven days after Trump had taken the oath of office; the least that could have been done was to edit that part.

On the whole, for a detailed summary in a short book, I would award the book an eight on ten.

Rating – 8/10

Have a nice day,

Andy

Napoleon: A Life from Beginning to End by Hourly History – Book Review

This is a short biography by Hourly History on the famous French emperor of the late 18^th and 19^th Century - Napoleon Bonaparte. Most of us have heard of him for being the person who made France a superpower and nearly achieved his dream of conquering Europe.

It starts with Napoleon’s early life; the fact that he wasn’t even French but in fact, Corsican (island to the south of Sardinia, Italy) and is from a family where his father’s aim was to achieve Corsican independence from France. It then goes on to his interactions with the French elite when he attended school in the mainland and how his political opinions developed; eventually going on to become the face of the French revolution and emerging as the President of the republic (subsequently crowned the Emperor). The book also talks about his military pursuits, his Napoleonic code and also on his ambitious plans to attack Britain. It then touches upon his eventual downfall and retirement to Elba and St Helena where he breathed his last.

The book, like any other Hourly History book delivered on the promise of giving the biography in an hour. I liked it that the book touched about his less known Italian heritage and his link to Corsica considering, Napoleon is the very person people think of when they think of France but he himself was often ridiculed for his accent of French. The book also covered all significant events in his life, be it his rise to power, his European conquests, his conquest of Egypt and its eventual failure owing to the sabotage by the British Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Napoleon has always been a controversial figure on whom I am yet to take a side; for he is definitely warmongering but at the same time; his views on society and the reforms he brought in were way beyond his time. The disappointment was that this book failed to convince me to take either side or provide sufficient information for me to take a side; for I know about his wars and military expertise, but I would have liked it if the book had written a little more about the reforms that Napoleon brought into the supposed conquered / liberated territories (he preferred to use the latter).

On the whole, I would award the book a six on ten.

Rating - 6/10

Have a nice day,

Andy

Julius Caesar: A Life from Beginning to End by Hourly History – Book Review

This is a book from the Hourly History series focusing on the famous Roman politician who eventually became a dictator of the huge empire. Most people would have heard a bit of Caesar because of the month July and also because of Shakespeare’s famous play.

However, there are so many aspects to Caesar apart from what was showcased by Shakespeare and this book starts with his entry into the Roman senate (yes, Caesar was a politician; Rome was a republic) and how he managed to consolidate power by his successful campaign in Gaul leading to the eventual formation of the famous triumvirate between Pompey of Iberia, Caesar of Gaul and Crassus of West Asia. The book also the talks about the eventual civil war between Pompey Loyalists and Caesar and the latter’s subsequent campaigns in Egypt and North Africa and also about his eventual fall. The book also talks about some of the reforms brought about by Caesar such as the calendar; the effect of which is felt till date.

Julius Caesar is a personality whom nearly everyone has heard of but know very little about mainly owing to the very limited scope of Shakespeare’s play and yes, I was no exception to this and I am really glad that I read this book considering how; reading this, I also got to know about the political system in Roman Empire and how they managed to hold on to such a large empire during ancient times. The campaigns of Caesar and also his unusually merciful attitudes towards his political dissidents were also brought out quite well. The book also had a brief mention of Caesar’s famous aide Mark Anthony (again, made famous by Shakespeare) and as to what exactly was his role prior to giving his highly emotional speech. The book also touched upon other famous people made known to the world such as Cleopatra and Caesar’s role in giving her the powerful role in Egypt (to be honest, I first came to know of both these historical figures through Asterix). Ultimately, the book also delivered on its promise on telling the history of Julius Caesar in an hour.

The only aspect upon which the book could have been a little better is to have mentioned a little more about another person made famous by Shakespeare; being Brutus, who barely had a mention in the book.

On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book especially considering my knowledge of pre-medieval history being limited; this book conveyed a lot of information in a short span of time. I would award the book a rating of seven on ten.

Rating – 7/10

Have a nice day,

Andy

Pirates: The Golden Age of Piracy by Hourly History – Book Review

This book from the Hourly History series deals with the Golden Age of Piracy during the Seventeenth century. Pirates have been had a cult following owing to films such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Captain Jack Sparrow but very few people are actually aware of what was the lifestyle that pirates went through.

The book starts by explaining how piracy began, mainly in the Caribbean and yes; Pirates were people with a very dangerous life with very high income but a very short life and normally, most used to end up on the noose. However, the book talks about certain pirates who survived the noose and a successful subsequent political career such as Henry Morgan. It also talks about certain famous pirates such as Blackbeard and the origin of the flag of Jolly Roger. The book finally talks about Pirates in other parts of the world and present day piracy mainly in the Horn of Africa.

The book did touch upon a subject that is not very well known and yes, the fact as to how certain regimes used the pirates as sea mercenaries, especially, the English during the Spanish Armada. The book also mildly touched upon the lifestyle of pirates and yes, I liked it as to how the book also talked about the etymology of the term buccaneer and also about pirates in other parts of the world such as the Mughal Empire and the Ottoman Empire.

However, I felt that this book lacked a proper sequence and went back and forth in history during the Golden Age of Piracy and also the fact that some of the things popularised by pop culture was talked about very less, such as the Jolly Roger. I also found that the fact there was hardly a mention of one of the more famous pirates being Sir Francis Drake to be quite disappointing.

To conclude, I had mixed feelings about the book and on the whole, I would award the book a five on ten.

Rating - 5/10 

Have a nice day,

Andy

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne – Book Review

Publisher’s write-up:

‘Regarded as a life-changing read by many readers, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is a self-help book that embarks to motivate the reader about a universal paradigm about success that can be achieved though it remains hidden for most people. The book explores about unveiling this little secret which may transform how people look at things and lead them on to the road of success and true happiness.’

The Secret is a self-help book by the Australian author Rhonda Byrne trying to explain how your thoughts are the driving force of your life. This wasn’t a book that I couldn’t avoid for too long for I always found this book in large numbers in bookstores; not just in English but in a lot of other languages which naturally kindled my curiosity as to what was so special about this and also the fact that the same was ceaselessly suggested by some of my friends.

The book starts with revealing The Secret which I believe is the law of attraction proposed in this book, that is, you attract what you think and your life is crafted by your thoughts. It the sequentially mentions how this law could be used for wealth, relationships, health, weight reduction, etc.

I liked it as to how the book is trying to trigger positive thinking for that is something I lack; in the sense that I think of all the possibilities and under the doctrine of being prepared for the worst, I more often than not, think only about the worst possible outcome and I guess I would use some of what the book has said to ensure a balance. The book also endorsed one of the strongest philosophies that I believe in; something which I liked (which is not agreed upon in most supposed spiritual books); that you’re the master of your own fate / destiny. I also liked the way in which the book was presented; each discussion being split into various chapters and then, at the end of each, you had a summary of what was stated in each of these chapters. The book was also concise considering the whole message was delivered in around 200 pages meaning that you don’t have to be a voracious reader in order to complete this book.

However, my problem with this book, predictably, was the excessive justification through pseudoscience; for one, comparing this law of attraction on a par with the law of gravity is outrageous to being with and two, some outrageous claims were made by the author where she stated that even though she didn’t study physics, by sheer thoughts, she perfectly understands quantum physics today; a topic which most physicists have struggled to crack with this popular quote from the physicist Richard Feynman – ‘If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics.’ Moreover, I believed that this book could be taken to induce positive thinking on the topics but then; her tips on topics such as health or financial management or dieting should be straightaway dismissed.

I always like reading on topics which I don’t ideologically agree with such as metaphysics, in this case and to be honest, I had a good time reading this book and some of the author’s suggestions were good which I could possibly implement and of course, predictably, I was totally outraged by some of her comparisons and analogies which I have touched upon previously. To conclude, I would say that this is a reasonable book with some practical solutions and a lot of codswallop. On the whole, I would award the book a rating of six.

Rating – 6/10

Have a nice day,

Andy

Ulysses Grant: A Life from Beginning to End by Hourly History – Book Review

This is a book part of the Hourly History series capturing the significant events of the life of the American Civil War hero and two time president, Ulysses S. Grant.

The book starts with Ulysses S. Grant’s ordinary beginning; someone who was too timid and had no special skill but for his knowledge about animals and horse riding; eventually ends up in the military in exchange for free college education who eventually quit after the US – Mexico war. The book then talks about Grant’s failed ventures; be it farming or business. However, with the Southern States launching a rebellion in order to retain their right to keep slaves; little did the country expect to find an able general in Ulysses Grant whose success in the Civil War and keeping the Union together made him a national hero. The book ends with a short note on his presidency.

The book followed the typical pattern the Hourly History series usually follows in case of covering a personality; that is, events being arranged chronologically and also covering every significant event. The book also gave a sufficient background to the Civil War and also focused a little on Grant’s personal views which were towards abolition of slavery. I have always found Grant’s rise interesting considering, the honour of leading the Union could’ve well gone to the opponent considering it was the Confederate General Robert E. Lee who was offered it first but chose to lead the Confederates since his home state Virginia joined the Confederates. How Grant managed to maintain the Union was also something captured well, as to how he offered Lee rather liberal terms of surrender which ensured a peaceful post war transition.

However, I felt the book could have concentrated a little more on his presidency, considering that his political career was scandal ridden but then, the book just touches upon them in barely a paragraph and I actually wished to know a little more about them but then, I guess I would have to rely on other sources to know more about them.

Alas, it is ironic that I am reviewing about Ulysses S. Grant, the person who first gave voting rights to all regardless of ethnicity on the same day when Donald J. Trump is going to swear-in as the 45^th President of the United States (in less than an hour from the time of this post, to be precise); a person who just seems too keen on dividing the country along ethnic lines.

On the whole, I would award the book a rating of six on ten.

Rating – 6/10

Have a nice day,

Andy

Mayan Civilization by Hourly History – Book Review

This is a review of the book on Mayan Civilization released by Hourly History. Many would have heard of them because of their calendar by which there was a widespread belief that the world would end by the end of 2012 (there was even a movie with the same theme) for the Mayan calendar did not have beyond December, 2012. Some others, including myself, would have heard of them because of Age of Empires.

For the rest, the Mayans were an ancient civilisation who inhabited much of the modern day Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and parts of Southern Mexico (north of which, I believe were the Aztecs). They are known for the complex pyramids and other structures that they constructed; the most notable being the Chichen Itza; a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Apart from that, they are also noted for the sophisticated cities they built and their contributions to astronomy and number system.

The book touched upon all these aspects; starting with the origins of the civilisation and how they lived along with the other Mesoamerican civilisations. It then moved on to their first contact with Europeans (expeditions of Columbus) and eventually, the eventual conquest by Hernan Cortez. It also focused on the various traditions and how their rituals played a key part in maintaining order, be it in daily life or securing alliances or running a kingdom. The book also dispelled notions that the Mayans were a homogenous group of people and in fact, had various city states and internal strife and also the fact that war and human sacrifice (usually of the defeated) was critical to please their gods. It concluded with the attempts being made by present day North Americans to revive their traditions and form a hybrid Christian – Mayan culture.

I felt the book gave an excellent insight into the history but then, I also felt that it touched upon personalities who built the civilisations very little; for instance, when talking about Aztecs, one could immediately visualise Montezuma or Chuahtemoc and similarly, if there was some focus on Mayan personalities of the past, the book could have been better.

On the whole, I would award the book a seven on ten.

Rating – 7/10

Have a nice day,

Andy

Celtic Mythology by Hourly History – Book Review

This is a book on Celtic Mythology as part of the Hourly History series going about the origins of the myths and then moving on to the various gods and subsequently as to how some of those traditions even have a bearing today, in Ireland.

To be honest, I am not sure as to how qualified I am to review the book considering I knew very little about Celtic mythology prior to reading the book and in fact; even though I knew that Celts primarily included the Scots, Irish and the Welsh, I always thought that the world Celtic had more to do with the Scots than Irish and I realised I was wrong, when I read the book.

Moving on, the book starts with the arrival of the Tuatha de Danann, the natives of Eire from the North and how they built their civilisation, their various practices, gods, superstitions, etc. I am unable to go into detail because I really couldn’t get a hang of the names mentioned except for the word Taoiseach meaning chief; only because, till date, the Prime Minister of Ireland is addressed by that title. However, I also found it interesting to know that the etymology for the river Danube in Central Europe in fact comes from the Celtic goddess Danu, referred to as the flowing one. I also liked it where the author, when not in a position to bring out the details of a battle / origin of a tribe, gives a brief introduction and then gives a link for further reading on the subject.

The only aspect I possibly missed was that there was no mention of one of the more famous Celtic mythical creatures, being Leprechaun. While I am not sure while making this statement, but considering the importance of the Unicorn in Scottish culture, I assumed it to be a Celtic creation and I was disappointed to not find a mention of it in this book.

Considering my experience and the knowledge I gained out of the book (barring the traditional Celtic names which I couldn’t pronounce), I would award the book a six on ten.

Rating – 6/10

Have a nice day,

Andy

English Civil War by Hourly History – Book Review

This is a book part of the Hourly History series explaining the English Civil War between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists during the 17^th Century post the Union of Crowns following the House of Stuart from Scotland ascending the throne in England.

The book starts with the events that led to the Civil War; such as the disappointment of King James I (James VI of Scotland) over the Parliament’s extreme control over the affairs of the country which was taken up by his successor Charles I who dissolved the parliament which eventually led to a bloody Civil War between those who supported the parliamentarians and those who supported the royals; not just in England, but throughout Great Britain and Ireland.

The book was ordered chronologically and the factors that determined the allegiance of the society was explained well (primarily religion). The focus on how each side tried to raise funds and gain support for the war was also covered well and I also liked the fact that the book, at the end of the day, managed to cover the English Civil War briefly over an hour.

The only aspect which I probably missed was that I felt that the most prominent figure of the war (and also post the war); the Parliamentarian Oliver Cromwell, who went on to become the Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland after the war; his role was barely covered in the book and also, I felt that the author could have added a paragraph on Cromwell’s subsequent rule post the war in the conclusion.

On the whole, I would award the book a rating of seven on ten.

Rating - 7/10

Have a nice day,

Andy