The Great Rebellion by C. V. Wedgewood

[Correus]

Found all three volumes of 'The Great Rebellion' by C. V. Wedgewood (The King's Peace, 1637–1641; The King's War, 1641–1647 and A Coffin for King Charles: the Trial and Execution of Charles I) in a junk shop ay such a cheap price it would have been a crime NOT to buy them.

Anyone know if these books are any good?

[Invisible officer]

Found all three volumes of 'The Great Rebellion' by C. V. Wedgewood (The King's Peace, 1637–1641; The King's War, 1641–1647 and A Coffin for King Charles: the Trial and Execution of Charles I) in a junk shop ay such a cheap price it would have been a crime NOT to buy them.

Anyone know if these books are any good?

Good is not enough, superb. I just re read her book about TYW. Written in 1938 but still one of the best. And the ECW ones are great reading too. She was one of the leading experts and able to write in a readable style, a rare combination.
Congratulations for your find.

[shadegate]

You've done well financially as well.
That set is currently going for £55 on amazon UK

Well done

[mikeland]

Brilliant set of books, the Kings Peace and the Kings war were the first books I read about the ECW when I first got interested in it.

[grant]

I agree, you have to own her books!

[RoughRider]

I have only managed to find The King's War (you lucky b'tard! ) and it was fantastic. I am continually on the lookout for more of her stuff.

[Correus]

I feel MUCH better now!

@shadegate - £55 on amazon UK eh? I got these for £4.40.

[BigMike]

Read with caution though! I read her TYW book and it's very much a book of it's time, I found she put a lot of her own gloss and commentary into the text so it wasn't the most objective history book i've ever read!

[Invisible officer]

Read with caution though! I read her TYW book and it's very much a book of it's time, I found she put a lot of her own gloss and commentary into the text so it wasn't the most objective history book i've ever read!

In the 1966 edition she had done some alterations and in the introduction she wrote that she was rigorous in some judgements on persons in her youth. But you hardly find a better history of all aspects of the war.

We should not forget that she wrote no history of heroes and shiny princes but one of a war that caused the death of millions without any result.
I would not say that she was not objective, every verdict was based on hard facts. The idea of impartiality is a noble one , but a myth. No historian is able to do it 100%. We are all children of our times.

I'm unable to find any hero among the leaders. A bigotted emperor, hypocrite defensors of Protestants, brutal Generals, a xxx Duke of Bavaria and the enigma Wallenstein.

Her ECW books are written later by a more experienced and tranquil historian.

[Cubster]

I would not say that she was not objective, every verdict was based on hard facts. The idea of impartiality is a noble one , but a myth. No historian is able to do it 100%.

Is that undisputed fact?