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The Restless Republic: Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2022 Paperback – September 19, 2023

by Anna Keay (Author)

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THE SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

WINNER OF THE POL ROGER DUFF COOPER PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE

Eleven years when Britain had no king.

In 1649 Britain was engulfed by revolution.

On a raw January afternoon, the Stuart king, Charles I, was executed for treason. Within weeks the English monarchy had been abolished and the ‘useless and dangerous’ House of Lords discarded. The people, it was announced, were now the sovereign force in the land. What this meant, and where it would lead, no one knew.

The Restless Republic is the story of the extraordinary decade that followed. It takes as its guides the people who lived through those years. Among them is Anna Trapnel, the daughter of a Deptford shipwright whose visions transfixed the nation. John Bradshaw, the Cheshire lawyer who found himself trying the King. Marchamont Nedham, the irrepressible newspaper man and puppet master of propaganda. Gerrard Winstanley, who strove for a Utopia of common ownership where no one went hungry. William Petty, the precocious scientist whose mapping of Ireland prefaced the dispossession of tens of thousands. And the indomitable Countess of Derby who defended to the last the final Royalist stronghold on the Isle of Man.

The Restless Republic ranges from London to Leith, Cornwall to Connacht, from the corridors of power to the common fields and hillsides. Gathering her cast of trembling visionaries and banished royalists, dextrous mandarins and bewildered bystanders, Anna Keay brings to vivid life the most extraordinary and experimental decade in Britain’s history. It is the story of how these tempestuous years set the British Isles on a new course, and of what happened when a conservative people tried revolution.

Print length

496 pages
Language

English
Publisher

William Collins
Publication date

September 19, 2023
Dimensions

5.08 x 1.5 x 7.8 inches
ISBN-10

0008282056
ISBN-13

978-0008282059
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Editorial Reviews

Review

‘Her narrative brims with life, colour, humour and humanity … A dazzling achievement, and I loved every page’ Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times

‘In this ceaselessly fascinating account of one of the most epochal events in the country’s history, the deserved winner of the Pol Roger Duff Cooper prize, Anna Keay skilfully delves beneath the well-worn cliches about the Commonwealth and brings a time of quiet, uncertain and ultimately fruitless revolution to vivid life. It is hard to imagine a better examination of the Protectorat’ Alexander Larman, Observer

‘This is an exceptional book about an exceptional time … meticulously researched and deftly drawn character studies … A triumph’ John Adamson, author of The Noble Revolt

‘An exceptional feat of imaginative engagement. Never have the kingless years been made so vivid, and never has vividness contributed so much to the understanding of them. Keay has brought off an ingenious literary experiment… An entrancing achievement’ Blair Worden, TLS

‘Wonderful…. Tells the story of how the British and Irish people came to be who they are’ Clive Myrie

‘Deft, confident, deeply learned and provocative’ Rory Stewart

‘[A] vivid panorama … Keay conjures up with nuance and panache the single most fascinating decade in the history of Britain and Ireland, revealing it to be at once weirdly ancient and strangely modern’ Paul Lay, The Times

‘Keay offers us a world turned upside down; but also a world made real. That’s a remarkable achievement’ Adrian Tinniswood, Sunday Telegraph *****

‘Readers both expert and casual will revel in seeing this period brought to noisy, brash, colourful [life] by the skilled pen of a natural storyteller’ Aspects of History

Book Description

Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2022

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Collins (September 19, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0008282056
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008282059
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 1.5 x 7.8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #290,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #110 in Scotland History
- #331 in American Civil War Biographies (Books)
- #433 in Royalty Biographies

Customer Reviews:
528

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Anna Keay

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Dr Anna Keay is an award-winning author, curator and historian. Her account of the republican decade of the 1650s in Britain and Ireland, 'The Restless Republic: Britain without a Crown', won the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize for Non-Fiction, 2023 and was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, 2022 . Her biography of the Duke of Monmouth, 'The Last Royal Rebel', was long-listed for the HWA Non-Fiction Crown, 2017. She is Director of historic buildings charity The Landmark Trust.

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4.5 out of 5

528 global ratings

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Justin M. Nicholson

Best non-fiction I've read lately

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2023

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Excellent coverage of England's ten-year period without a king on the throne. It begins with the execution of Charles I, and ends with the restoration of his son. This is probably the most complex and confusing time in English history, what with all the different factions and individuals changing sides. This account cannot cure the complications, but it does a great job of making sense of it all, focusing on the important personalities involved. I have not read a better presentation and analysis. Highly recommended.

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Boris Aleksandrovsky

this is how history should be written, not just popular history

Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2023

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well-researched, written in beautiful language which just flows, the author accomplished a difficult task of presenting the narrative with references of primary sources and even the language of the times in a narrative which read like good fiction. it is also quite clear from her trained eye as historical building preservationist, how buildings, maps and geography of the place takes a leading role in history.

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2022

What a magnificent book!! Keay has made an absolutely superb choice of figures for her cameo portraits, and she weaves all their stories together to create a brilliant depiction of the many facets of this fascinating and complex period. She is all but flawless in her distillations of the people and the issues, and she writes splendidly. Whether you are brand new to this period, or more or less immersed in it (as I am), this is a fascinating and illuminating book, and it is a joy to read. A stunning achievement.

2 people found this helpful

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Christine

Disappointed - selective history doesn't reflect other author's books

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2022

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While the author gives us a comprehensive look at life in England through selected characters, I find the subject matter lacking. She states Chares II was lenient in his revenge on the regicides. Two published books offer differing opinions, "The King's Revenge", and the Earl

Charles Spencer, a descendant of Charles 2, "Killers of the King" offer views of 25 years of the King's ruthlessness to murder the regicides. No mention is made of Sir Harry Vane who was executed although a non-regicide. His memory has inspired no less than 10 authors to write books on his fight for civil rights as a MP, and John Milton wrote a sonnet about his courageous service. General Monck and wife are presented as heroes when one author wrote of his agreement restoring Charles II to the throne, "set the fight for freedom back 100 years." Although, I am glad to see Republic period of history covered as it is rich indeed.

6 people found this helpful

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Adrianna Randall

Interesting on Every Page

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2022

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This was the best non-fiction book I have read in 2022. I love the author's approach to telling the story of the Interregnum years (1649 - 1660). She did a fantastic job of weaving the intimate and harrowing stories of characters during that time (both high status and "common" people) into the larger picture happening in the country. I loved how she avoided what I called "And then-ism" which is where some other (and even great in their own right) non-fiction books have whole pages of and then this happened and then this happened with out making it interesting or giving context why it mattered.

When you read this book you will be part of the chase of polemical swashbuckling proto-tabloid/journalist by government agents, the honorable Countess of Derby fighting the overbearing Commonwealth (and losing), and the story of someone who just wanted to start digging. Each story will be interesting in its own right but flawlessly integrated with the larger story of a country that couldn't agree on much of anything.

If you are interested in getting a unique take on the English Civil War and what followed, I would heavily recommend this book.

2 people found this helpful

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Carlton

Brilliant narrative history through an imaginative selection of individuals’ stories

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2023

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I have been reading a lot of histories of seventeenth century England/Britain in the past year and this book concentrates on the twelve years from about 1648 to 1660 by exploring the lives of individuals who lived through that time and recorded their experiences, or for whom historical records can be reconstructed. Keay accepts that this is necessarily selective and also appreciates that their lives extended before and after this period, but seeks to provide a history of the period through her selected individuals’ experiences.

For me, this is history as it should be written: wide ranging, thoughtful, thought provoking and a fun read. Keay has chosen a handful of individuals to represent this period, and has made a gloriously imaginative selection.

Portrayed are:
• John Bradshaw, a solicitor from Cheshire who became president of the parliamentary commission to try king Charles I in 1649.
• Gerrard Winstanley, a failed London businessman who became the “leader” of the Digger movement (proto-communists) in 1650.
• Charlotte, Countess of Derby and her husband who was a Royalist initially withstanding seiges of their Cheshire castle, Lathom House in 1644, and later Castle Rushen on the Isle of Man in 1651.
• Marchamont Nedham, a journalist of the Royalist publication Mercurius Pragmaticus, who when imprisoned for his writings by the Republic, accepted the job of public relations for Parliament, publishing Mercurius Politicus. He became the first famous political journalist. This covers the period up to Cromwell’s military coup of Parliament in April 1653.
• Anna Trapnel, a Puritan evangelical (Fifth Monarchist), who became politicised against Cromwell’s regime despite it allowing religious toleration, as it still didn’t go far enough
• Sir Hamon L’Estrange, a country squire and owner of Norfolk’s Hunstanton House. Initially siding with the Royalists and commanding King’s Lynn, he had subsequently retired from politics and with his industrious and practical wife, had sought to buy back his estates lost through Parliamentary fines.
• William Petty, an Oxford doctor, convener of the Oxford Experimental Philosophy Society, which became the Royal Society. By being doctor to the Major General of Ireland, he learns of the plan for a survey of Ireland by professional surveyors which is to take seven years. As a practical thinker, he offers to use untrained but experienced army personnel to complete the process in thirteen months, and he successfully delivers on his commission.
• Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector. I haven’t read a biography, so the two chapters about Cromwell’s rejection of the crown and duality between his country gentleman upbringing and epiphany of radical religious convictions were succinct but enlightening.
• George Monck, a professional soldier, initially fighting for the Royalists, but after capture and imprisonment, for the Parliamentarians. After Cromwell’s death and a military takeover of Parliament (again), Monck used the army in Scotland to “defeat” by diplomacy and threat, the London military and re-establish Parliament, then the return of the monarchy.

Brilliant history.

21 people found this helpful

pseudo

My 2022 non-fiction discovery

Reviewed in Spain on November 11, 2022

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What an amazing discovery! I enjoyed every single page of this well-researched book. Beyond the must-have focus on the key historic figures that this story needs to focus on, the author approaches the reader to an ensemble of characters from every walk of life to paint a realistic picture of the society of the time. I devoured it and I cannot recommend it more emphatically to anyone interested in British history.

spellingbee

Brilliant.

Reviewed in Australia on March 5, 2023

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Brilliantly written. I learnt so much. I didn't think i would enjoy it as much as I did, becasue I though it would be dry, but this is not the case at all. Buy it! read it!

bletchwaves

Well Balanced View of the Period

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2023

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed the authors efforts in viewing the period from various individuals perspectives. Reported in an unbiased way.
It filled in another piece of the jigsaw to my knowledge on the Interregnum. Definitely worth a read.

One person found this helpful

Mr. Greg Gaughran

a little boring

Reviewed in Australia on February 7, 2024

Verified Purchase

Bought this on the back of a rekko from 'the rest is history' podcast series. I found it a little dull without much of the life breathed into the era as was purported.

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THE SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

WINNER OF THE POL ROGER DUFF COOPER PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE

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The Restless Republic: Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2022 Paperback – September 19, 2023

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THE SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

WINNER OF THE POL ROGER DUFF COOPER PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE

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