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The Blazing World
- A New History of Revolutionary England
- Narrated by: Oliver Hembrough
- Length: 19 hrs and 47 mins
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The Blazing World
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Summary
A major new history of England's turbulent seventeenth century and how it marked the birth of a new world.
The seventeenth century began as the English suddenly found themselves ruled by a Scotsman, and ended in the shadow of an invasion by the Dutch. Under James I, the country suffered terrorism and witch panics. Under his son Charles, state and society collapsed into civil war, to be followed by an army coup and regicide. For a short time – for the only time in history – England was a republic. There were bitter struggles over faith and no boundaries to politics. In the coffee shops and alehouses of plague-ridden London, new ideas were forged that were angry, populist and almost impossible for monarchs to control.
Despite the radical changes that transformed England, few today understand the story of this revolutionary age. Leaders like Oliver Cromwell, Charles II, and William of Orange have been reduced to caricatures, while major turning points like the Civil War and the Glorious Revolution have become shrouded in myth and misunderstanding. Yet the seventeenth century has never been more relevant. The British constitution is once again being contested, and we face a culture war reminiscent of when the Roundheads fought the Cavaliers.
From raw politics to religious divisions, civil wars to witch trials, plague to press freedoms, The Blazing World is the story of a strange but fascinating century, told in sparkling detail. Drawing on vast archives, Jonathan Healey refreshes our understanding of public figures while simultaneously taking us into the lives of ordinary people to illuminate a revolutionary society that forged a new world.
Critic reviews
"The Blazing World tells the story of that crucible era when Englishmen began to think. About God and government, how to limit the monarchy and how ‘the poorest he’ (if not the poorest she) might share in some kind of democracy. Jonathan Healey explains Revolutionary England with great insight and wit, and an objectivity usually lacking in histories written with an inclination towards one side or the other. The book helps us to understand how and why, 400 years ago, Englishmen came to develop political and religious beliefs for which they were prepared to die and would eventually amalgamate in a way which set Britain (and, ideologically) America on a path to greatness." (Geoffrey Robertson KC, author of The Tyrannicide Brief)
"An erudite but readable history of a remarkable century. Contemporary voices, unearthed from the archive, convey the texture of the times and bring events to life." (Dr Margarette Lincoln, author of London and the Seventeenth Century)
"Here a familiar and very important story is told with exceptional clarity and vigour, and plenty of very unfamiliar anecdotes and characters, drawn from all over the nation and all of Stuart society." (Ronald Hutton)
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Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Farah Mendlesohn
- 21-02-23
Too short
Only thing wrong with this book is that I need volume 2, to Culloden.
Full of interesting snippets; reminds us what a right shit Charles II was underneath the joviality; and most fascinating is the tracing of careers from the 1620s to the 1690s. I think most of us just don't realise how many Commonwealth men and women found places in the Stuart and Orange regimes.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Matthew
- 20-09-23
A revolutionary history
A sumptuous history of the 17th c delivered in a novelistic style and crammed with plum rich characters. Paced like a thriller the momentum builds to a glorious climax. Nice work Dr H.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- E. A. Watson
- 17-03-24
Foundations of our crumbling order explained
So much of relevance to current times. Told well and brilliantly read. Huge cast of characters, many will stay with you as so neatly made distinct. Interesting speculation on what might have been as well as what was.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Charles Fredrik Webb
- 23-01-24
Fantastic!
A fantastic history of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, taking it to a logical conclusion with the Hanoverians. Most histories of the period finish with the Restoration of Charles I, but that always feel like skipping the final chapter. The characters are brought to life, and finally, someone gives Rainsborough and John Lambert the space they need.
My minor quibble would be that events in Scotland are glossed over.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jessica
- 20-01-24
Interesting and new perspectives
Loved this updated view on this period. Written and delivered in an engaging way. I enjoyed it so much, that I have now listened to it twice!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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- Fred
- 22-05-23
Interesting book with austere narration
A genuinely interesting book. Unfortunately, the austere narration took the shine off it. Worth putting up with though.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Damian M. Cummins
- 03-03-23
Excellent book
Excellent book. I appreciated being given the full context for the period leading up to the Civil War. I was disappointed about the narrator’s woefully poor pronunciation of Irish place names, especially Drogheda. It’s a regular occurrence for English narrators to mispronounce Irish place names but given that they were being mentioned primarily in the context of Cromwellian massacres was annoying.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- veyza
- 07-03-23
Thorough and informative
A blow by blow account of the English Civil war and Commonwealth, their origins, aftermath and lasting significance. Recommended.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Anna
- 07-11-23
Astounding
Healey’s attention to detail and perspective brings us the 17th century in a new light. Hembrough’s reading is superb.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Rachel Redford
- 21-02-23
An ambitious and invigorating sweep of history
If you are an academic with a specialism in any particular aspect of seventeenth century England, you’ll probably find that Healey has failed to fully explore some vital point. If like me you’re an interested non-specialist, you will find The Blazing World invigorating and rewarding.
The significance of Healey’s title becomes apparent in his assessment of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, which comes towards the end of the nineteen hours of listening. This remarkable natural philosopher, the first woman to attend a Royal Society meeting, in 1666 wrote The Blazing World. In it she presents a world both utopian and fantastical, full of promise and ideas. This concluding part of Healey’s book with its upbeat presentation of the expansion in all branches of science ,in which Margaret Cavendish plays a part, leaves the listener with hope for the new century.
With vicious religious and civil wars fuelled by irreconcilable systems of belief, brutal punishments, constitutional crises, plague, riots and regicide ,Healey’s seventeenth century certainly blazes as fiercely as London’s Great Fire. What a century!
Healey writes extremely well and there are some episodes such as s Charles 1’s death which are extremely powerful. His sweep is ambitious taking in not just the historical events which mark out the century but also the social and economic background of the various classes, the raging witch hunts, and the theme of disorder and misrule . I enjoyed in particular his inclusion of the developing market for written publications with all their uncensored (and frequently and scurrilous ) content. Generous quotations from contemporary sources add both lively language and a sense of immediacy.
The narrator Oliver Hemborough has done a first class job on a long book – even though he refers to Sir Edward Coke whose name is pronounced Cook incorrectly throughout!
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4 people found this helpful