Oliver Cromwell: Commander in Chief

The second volume in an acclaimed biography of Oliver Cromwell, from the capture of Charles I to the expulsion of the Long Parliament In 1647, the Parliamentarians were divided. They had won the first civil war and king was in custody, but disagreements over the way forward had led to a stalemate. As the leader of one party, Oliver Cromwell found himself again at the centre of events. In the second volume of his pioneering biography, Ronald Hutton traces Cromwell’s career from 1647 through to his seizure of supreme power. These decisive years saw the execution of Charles I and the establishment of the Commonwealth of England, as well as notorious and savage campaigns in Ireland and Scotland. Cromwell’s political and military leadership were well honed after years of practice, but this was also the period of his greatest ruthlessness and brutality. This groundbreaking account reveals a different kind of Cromwell, showing how he navigated the many forces ranged against him—and rose to the pinnacle of his power.

Ronald Hutton

Professor Hutton is a world-renowned scholar who will explore the historical facts behind the myths and legends that have built up around Merlin.

Glastonbury and the abbey have long been famous for their links to the Arthurian legends. This talk will explore the role that Merlin serves in the Arthurian romances and the background of this mythical figure.

Professor Ronald Hutton is a leading authority on the history of the British Isles in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, on ancient and medieval paganism and magic, and on the global context of witchcraft beliefs. He is also the leading historian of the ritual year in Britain and of modern paganism. He is a member of the ‘Medieval and Early Modern Cluster’ at Bristol University.