Cromwell was born into middle-class obscurity and became a Member of Parliament. When that Parliament quarreled with Charles I, Cromwell was a member of the protesting party. When the disagreement turned to war, Cromwell became a competent cavalry officer, then rose through the ranks to general of the army. He was one of the prime movers in the trial and execution of the king.

Parliament sent the army, with Cromwell in charge, to defeat the Royalists in Ireland, then the Presbyterians in Scotland. His success made him the strongest man in the country. The army struggled with Parliament, and Cromwell got them dismissed. The replacement Parliament took off where the Long Parliament ended, so Cromwell dismissed them too and took over the country as the Lord General. A few years later, his power was more centralized and he became the Protector. He was offered the crown, but refused after spending many days in prayer. When he died, his weak son Richard was unable to hold power and Charles II was invited back. Cromwell’s body was dug up, beheaded, and put on public display as a traitor.

Cromwell must have been an interesting guy. He obviously commanded the respect of others, including many of his enemies. His motives seemed to be as good as any man’s can be — with a sincere desire to rule over a godly nation and with sympathy for the poor and those who disagreed with him. He felt himself to be an instrument of God’s will. But the realities of ruling led him in the end to institute many of the same governing features that he fought with Charles I for.

The book was somewhat ponderous. I don’t care at all for Fraser’s writing style, and there were long, dry stretches where I didn’t bother paying much attention. But it was informative and gave me a real sense of Cromwell and the times.