The Blood in Winter : The thrilling story of England's descent into civil war - 'packed with fire and excitement' TELEGRAPH

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 gripping history about the months that sent England into civil war‘An old-fashioned Westminster thriller . . . You could hardly find a more engrossing or exciting story’ DOMINIC SANDBROOK, SUNDAY TIMES‘A rollicking history, packed with fire and excitement *****’ DANIEL BROOKS, TELEGRAPH‘The House of Cards-ish drama remains gripping to the last’ LITERARY REVIEWAfter 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.Radical politicians congratulate themselves on a stunning political victory.Royal servants are coming to accept an altered future. 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. Why did the English Civil War break out? The Blood in Winter tells the story of an English people's great political awakening, and of a nation that splintered into bloodshed at a terrifying speed.Jonathan Healey recreates the claustrophobic atmosphere of the day, with rowdy protestors in the streets and London blanketed in coal smoke.It is a story of remarkable but flawed characters, all faced with unpalatable choices, and a frightening picture of a society in profound distress.