The book itself is an easy read and you do find yourself engrossed in all of the secret facts and details that you may not have been aware of.

Overall an interesting read for anyone with a passing interest in this period and as always with Pen & Sword produced to a good standard.

Battlefield - The Magazine of the Battlefields Trust and the Scottish Battlefields Trust, Summer 2021

This book deals with the myths and misconceptions of the Civil War in an evenhanded and accurate fashion. It is written in a style that is easy to read and absorb, that flows from one subject to another, and doesn’t shy away from the painful aspects of the war or the consequences.

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Rosie Writes

Author featured as expert in Jonathan Scott's 'English Civil War' article

WDYTYA? Magazine, August 2019

Featured in: 'Pen & Sword Books have some great new releases for your book shelf. We have picked out the best'.

Waterside, issue 11

Overall, this is an excellent book, and what it aims to do, it does very well.

Pike and Shot Society

James’s book would have come in very handy when I was studying this for my OU degree in the 1980s… Once again, so much here that I didn’t know – my knowledge of the English Civil Wars prior to my OU studies was based on picture strip stories in comics that presented the Royalists as the only righteous people – now I have my own views on that, and, thanks to James’s book, my knowledge has been further enhanced. Essential reading.

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Books Monthly

Hobson manages to produce a book that makes it extremely understandable and exciting . In fact this book is an excellent springboard to other more specific texts and even I, who have read some other book on this conflict, will always keep it close to me to consult it given its immediacy.
Another nice book published by Pen & Sword Books that I would recommend to readers.

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Old Barbed Wire Blog

Overall, the book is a quick, fun read that isn’t at all very strict nor academic but entirely factual and well researched. It would be a great fun book for any history student, lover or professional as well as the casual reader of popular history. It’s suitable for everyone and I’d definitely recommend it.

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History in Petticoats, Kendal Elizabeth Parker

On first look this book seems to offer questions and answers that might suit the frustrating style of a ‘Newsnight’ inquisitor seeking an elusive definitive Yes/No answer to complex issues. However in directing its efforts at specific elements of the Civil War it actually succeeds in prompting the reader to better understand the joined up context of the war in all its aspects. The style may seem flippant and superficial at first but give it time and it rewards with opinions which may well lead the reader to further question and research; not a bad outcome at all. I recommend that the reader should perversely start by reading the ‘Conclusion’ which positions the Civil War in a modern contemporary context and helps greatly in defining the themes of the book as being very relevant to today’s political and religious problems. It is actually quite a fun read, and a good introduction to the subject particularly for a younger reader looking for a bit more than just a narrative sequencing of events of the Civil War.
Michael McCarthy. Battlefield Guide.

Michael McCarthy