An Illustrated Guide

A guide can be defined as something that provides a person with guiding information.  To find one that helps organize a very complex period of history found in many family trees, is called "The Cromwellian Gazetteer, An Illustrated Guide to Britain in the Civil War and Commonwealth"
by Peter Gaunt.

Organized first by country [England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland], it then guides one county by county through the conflict that ends in what is called "The Commonwealth Period".  For the genealogist, if one has a family member involved during this period of time, it becomes very hard to get a grasp of this conflict.  The sites involved during this crisis are shown in brief summary [many in pictures].  A detailed itinerary of the life of Oliver Cromwell is included which helps establish chronology for much of the conflict.  An interesting point of view it is.

First published in 1987 by Alan Sutton Publishing Limited, it was printed in Great Britain by Redwood Books, Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

The Lord Protector

Dynamic religious and political forces produced a variety of ideas and beliefs during the Civil War period in England.  Certain individuals took leadership roles during the many conflicts.  Depending on which side of the fence your beliefs resided, your view of these individuals might have dramatic differences.  Such is the case for Oliver Cromwell.  An accomplished leader or narrow minded traitor are thoughts which might occur simultaneously.

This book by Antonia Fraser presents a detailed view of this individual during this complex time in history.  Published 1973 by Random House, N.Y, it presents a lengthy chronology of his life and times.  This book offers the reader a grasp of one side of the conflict deep in Puritan beliefs and concepts of the day.  It is a helpful resource for the genealogist who wishes to sort through the forces which occupied the lives of our ancestors involved in these conflicts.  [My copy shown above is 774 pages and might be more a reference than easy read.]