Jonathan Healey

The Blood in Winter: The Thrilling Story of England’s Descent Into Civil War by Jonathan Healey

A nation on the cusp of war. A king ousted from his capital by the people. A society on the brink of collapse. From Jonathan Healey comes a thrilling history about the months that sent England into civil war.

After years of tension between a king and his people, in 1641 England reaches a semblance of peace. Armies have disbanded, legislation has passed to ensure Parliament will continue to sit, and the people are tentatively optimistic.

Then comes winter. With it, chaos, protests, political deadlock, and eventually a remarkable attempt by King Charles I to destroy his opponents. On 4 January 1642 Charles marches on the small riverside city of Westminster at the head of an army, seeking to arrest five Members of Parliament. In doing so, he sets in motion a series of events that will lead to bloodshed and war, changing a nation forever.

Jonathan Healey is Associate Professor in Social History at the University of Oxford. His previous book, The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England, was selected as a book of the year by the Telegraph, Economist and New Yorker.

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