
Old Ironsides
The Military Biography of Oliver Cromwell
Frank Kitson(Author)
Weidenfeld Military (Publisher)
Published on 11. March 2004
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-0-297-84688-8 (ISBN)
Description
Oliver Cromwell was an undistinguished backbench MP in his forties when the English Civil War began. Like many other gentleman farmers, he recruited a regiment and led it to war. However, unlike most of the amateur leaders, he demonstrated a remarkable aptitude for soldiering and rose to become one of Parliament's leading generals. Ultimately he would use his power-base within the army to seize power and rule all Britain. General Sir Frank Kitson's concise military biography reveals how and why Cromwell proved so successful. His accessible narrative provides an excellent potted history of the Civil War, peppered with asides on the practicalities of soldiering in the 17th century.
Reviews / Votes
'What brings freshness to Kitson's account, and the confidence to question accepted wisdom, is his capacity for viewing a terrain, and for weighing options, through the fighters' eyes... This brief and lucid book is the shrewdest and most congenial introduction to its subject that I know.' -- Blair Worden THE GUARDIAN 'He has produced a wonderfully perceptive study of Cromwell's military talents, engagingly written and cogently argued. What price a top-five finish if Kitson, and not Richard Holmes, had put Cromwell's case on Great Britons?' THE DAILY TELEGRAPHMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Illustrations
12 B/W Photo\Illu(s),11 Map(s)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 132 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
467 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-297-84688-8 (9780297846888)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition
Person
Commissioned into the Army soon after the war, he rose to become Commander-in-Chief of UK Land Forces at the end of a 40-year military career. He commanded an armoured division in Germany and deal with civil revolts in Kenya, Malaya, Oman, Cyprus and Northern Ireland. He was Commandant of the School of Infantry and of the Staff College. His previous books include two on Prince Rupert of the Rhine.