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  • The Siege of Loyalty House

  • A New History of the English Civil War
  • By: Jessie Childs
  • Narrated by: Miranda Raison
  • Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (70 ratings)

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The Siege of Loyalty House

By: Jessie Childs
Narrated by: Miranda Raison
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

The Civil War was the most traumatic conflict in British history, pitting friends and family members against each other and tearing down the old order.

Award-winning historian Jessie Childs plunges the listener into the shock of the struggle through one of its most dramatic episodes: the siege of Basing House. To the parliamentarian Roundheads, the Hampshire mansion was a bastion of royalism, popery and excess. Its owner was both a Catholic and staunch supporter of Charles I. His motto Love Loyalty was etched into the windows. He refused all terms of surrender.

As royalist strongholds crumbled, Loyalty House, as it became known, stood firm. Over two years, the men, women and children inside were battered, bombarded, starved and gassed. Their resistance became legendary. Inigo Jones designed the fortifications and the women hurled bricks from the roof. But in October 1645, Oliver Cromwell rolled in the heavy guns and the defenders prepared for a last stand.

Drawing on exciting new sources, Childs uncovers the face of the war through a cast of unforgettable characters: the fanatical Puritan preacher who returns from Salem to take on the king, the plant-hunting apothecary who learns to kill as well as heal, the London merchant and colonist who clashes with Basing's aristocratic lord and Cromwell himself who feels the hand of God on his sword. And we hear, too, the voices of dozens of ordinary men and women caught in the crossfire.

The Siege of Loyalty House is a thrilling tale of war and peace, terror and faith, friendship and betrayal—and of a world turned upside down.

©2022 Jessie Childs (P)2022 Penguin Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
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What listeners say about The Siege of Loyalty House

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great history

Fantastically detailed narrative which covers multitudes of aspects relating to the drive of Basing House.
Was particularly smitten with the narration. Beautifully read.

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1 person found this helpful

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Excellent and factual well worth a listen

Very well researched , and very well read.. casting a light into dark corners of history , with a compassionate view and without a modernist condescending eye.

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Brilliant telling of history

The Siege of Loyalty House, by Jessie Childs looks at the period of the English Civil War, through the eyes of those held in a siege at Basing house. It begins by telling the build-up of how the English Civil War begun, and then moves to one of the longest and bloodiest sieges during the English Civil War. The people of Bassing house defended for over two years and the house was filled with a wide range of individuals, including aristocrats, actors, doctors, and included women and children, as well as men and soldiers. There were constant attacks and the stories that tell the life of what happened to those people is absolutely gripping. This book offers an extraordinary glimpse into the times that these people lived in as well as their struggle and resilience through the costs of the war. It is a brilliantly told story which will have you hooked and gripped throughout. I learnt a lot about the times of our past, and how I during a period of time when we became a (briefly) a republic, looked and felt. Highly recommended for those love knowing our past, our history and those who love a thriller full of adventure.

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Very good

Very well read and interesting take on English civil war. I would recommend this book👍

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Concise and insightful narrative

Well written, personalised and informative. The book deals with the scope of the ECW without getting too bogged down in the broader history. It's focus on experiences and personal narratives is a refreshing take that opens up some of the complexities of the conflict.

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Beautifully written and read

This is a beautifully and evocatively written book. I highly recommend it for those who, like me, did not know much about the civil war - let alone the effect on the lives of those who lived through it. It is also sensitively and clearly read. Highly recommended.

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Wonderful Take on Civil War

Beautifully written - bringing alive wonderful characters on both sides of the divide. And read with great art and poignancy.

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wonderful, exciting and very moving.

I have had the pleasure of re enacting with the Marquess of Winchesters Regiment at Basing , This has really enhanced my experiences there. Recently we welcomed back a member of the Paulet family to their ancestral literally, a pile. The King and the Cause , Aimez loyaute !

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A fascinating history lesson

This book was beautifully narrated and gave suchan insight into some of the characters involved in this most important and overlooked period of the history of this country

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Awful Times Brought to Life

Much more than a history of the siege, but the story of the times and people involved. The story starts in London, follows several remarkable men and their families to Basing House, I gained a much better idea of what it would have been like to live through the beginning of the English Civil War and how difficult it would been to choose a side, supposing I would be given a choice!

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