The 15-year period between 1645 and 1660 was one of the most dynamic in British history, during which the republican Commonwealth and Cromwellian Protectorate attempted to create a new type of 'Godly' state after the execution of Charles I.

Drawing on the latest research and established sources, as well as the works and diaries of contemporaries such as John Evelyn, John Milton and Samuel Pepys, A Sword for Christ offers a new and stimulating perspective on these extraordinary years. Key figures such as Sir Thomas Fairfax, Charles II and, of course, Oliver Cromwell himself - one of the most contentious figures in history - are reappraised and brought vividly to life.

In addition to exploring the religious and political debates which shaped the era and the military engagements which defined it, it also considers how society was profoundly shaped by the destruction caused by the civil wars; the relations between what was essentially an English republic and its Irish and Scottish neighbors; and the ethos of the New Model Army and the navy.