The Restless Republic: Britain without a Crown

The Restless Republic is a 2022 book that tells the story of the 10 years after Charles I was executed in 1649, when Britain had no king and the English monarchy was abolished. It follows the people who lived through those years, including Anna Trapnel, John Bradshaw, Marchamont Nedham, Gerrard Winstanley, William Petty, and the Countess of Derby, and explores how they set the British Isles on a new course and what happened when a conservative people tried revolution.

Format: Hardback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 03 March 2022
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

The Sunday Times History Book of the Year 2022, Winner of the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize for Non-Fiction, Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize

Eleven years of upheaval in Britain: In 1649, Britain descended into revolution. On a chilly January afternoon, Charles I, the Stuart king, was executed for treason. Within weeks, the English monarchy was abolished, and the 'useless and dangerous House of Lords' was discarded. The announcement reverberated across the land: The people had become the sovereign force in the nation. The meaning and direction of this seismic shift remained uncertain.

The Restless Republic: This captivating book delves into the extraordinary decade that followed. It serves as a guide through the lives of those who lived through these tumultuous years. Among them are Anna Trapnel, the daughter of a Deptford shipwright whose visions captivated the nation. John Bradshaw, the Cheshire lawyer tasked with trying the King. Marchamont Nedham, the dynamic newspaperman and master of propaganda. Gerrard Winstanley, the visionary who sought a utopia of common ownership, where hunger was eradicated. William Petty, the precocious scientist who mapped Ireland, paving the way for the dispossession of thousands. And the resilient Countess of Derby, who valiantly defended the final Royalist stronghold on the Isle of Man.

The Restless Republic spans from London to Leith, Cornwall to Connacht, traversing the corridors of power and the common fields and hillsides. Author Anna Keay skillfully brings to life a diverse cast of trembling visionaries, banished royalists, deft mandarins, and bewildered bystanders. Through vivid storytelling, she vividly portrays the most extraordinary and experimental decade in British history. This narrative unfolds the transformative impact of these tempestuous years on the British Isles, as well as the consequences of a conservative people attempting a revolution.

The Restless Republic offers a profound exploration of a pivotal period in British history, shedding light on the complexities and consequences of political and social upheaval. It serves as a testament to the resilience and determination of the human spirit in the face of monumental change.

Weight: 778g
Dimension: 163 x 240 x 47 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780008282028