Review by Choice Review
Local and regional studies of the English Civil War have provided useful contrasts to history written from the center, and Warmington's study of Gloucestershire furthers this trend. As with a number of other such works, this book shows that those who supported Parliament and those who supported the King are not easily classified by economic interests or even by religious attitudes. Principles, rivalry between families, and geography (the hills tended to support Royalism, the vales Parliament) each seemed to play a role, and a number of early Parliamentary supporters became Royalists once the war had begun. Unlike most county studies, Warmington's book also covers the Restoration, where he finds that substantial gentry on both sides came together, closed ranks, and sought quite successfully to maintain their authority against the minor gentry who had risen to prominence during the 1650s. The author avoids sweeping generalizations, making for a prudent, if undramatic, account. Recommended for large, academic collections. J. W. Weingart Whitman College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
