The Blazing World

A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689

By: Jonathan Healey

Narrated by: Oliver Hembrough

AN ECONOMIST AND NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • A fresh, exciting, “readable and informative” history (The New York Times) of seventeenth-century England, a time of revolution when society was on fire and simultaneously forging the modern world. • “Recapture[s] a lost moment when a radically democratic commonwealth seemed possible.”—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker

“[Healy] makes a convincing argument that the turbulent era qualifies as truly ‘revolutionary,’ not simply because of its cascading political upheavals, but in terms of far-reaching changes within society.... Wryly humorous and occasionally bawdy”— The Wall Street Journal

The seventeenth century was a revolutionary age for the English. It started as they suddenly found themselves ruled by a Scotsman, and it ended in the shadow of an invasion by the Dutch. Under James I, England suffered terrorism and witch panics. Under his son Charles, state and society collapsed into civil war, to be followed by an army coup and regicide. For a short time—for the only time in history—England was a republic. There were bitter struggles over faith and Parliament asserted itself like never before. There were no boundaries to politics. In fiery, plague-ridden London, in coffee shops and alehouses, new ideas were forged that were angry, populist, and almost impossible for monarchs to control.

But the story of this century is less well known than it should be. Myths have grown around key figures. People may know about the Gunpowder Plot and the Great Fire of London, but the Civil War is a half-remembered mystery to many. And yet the seventeenth century has never seemed more relevant. The British constitution is once again being bent and contorted, and there is a clash of ideologies reminiscent of when Roundhead fought Cavalier.

The Blazing World is the story of this strange, twisting, fascinating century. It shows a society in sparkling detail. It was a new world of wealth, creativity, and daring curiosity, but also of greed, pugnacious arrogance, and colonial violence.

©2023 Jonathan Healey (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"The point of Jonathan Healey’s new book, The Blazing World, is to acknowledge all the complexities of the [civil wars] but still to see it as a real revolution of political thought—to recapture a lost moment when a radically democratic commonwealth seemed possible. . . . [Healey] writes with pace and fire and an unusually sharp sense of character and humor. . . . With the eclectic, wide-angle vision of the new social history, Healey shows that ideas and attitudes, rhetoric and revelations, rising from the ground up, can drive social transformation.”—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker

“Jonathan Healey’s The Blazing World makes a convincing argument that the turbulent era qualifies as truly ‘revolutionary,’ not simply because of its cascading political upheavals, but in terms of far-reaching changes within society. The author, a professor at Oxford University, delivers a clearsighted narrative of 17th-century England, deftly integrating original and insightful analysis of underlying social phenomena and expressing his enthusiasm in brisk, wryly humorous and occasionally bawdy prose.”—Stephen Brumwell, The Wall Street Journal

“Healey’s book is refreshing for its energetic writing, engaging wit and sound foundation in recent historical scholarship. . . . Rather than advancing a new interpretation, Healey captures the vitality and turbulence of 17th-century England in an effective retelling, with many more players than the typical cast of kings and queens. . . . While narrating this tempestuous past, Healey has an eye on the present. He regards key stages in the political and intellectual history of revolutionary England as ‘steps on a longer journey’ toward modern democracy. . . . This readable and informative overview evokes a lost world which, for better or worse, ‘was blazing a path toward our own.’”—David Cressy, The New York Times

Been looking for this book for a long time

I have been looking for a modern book that tells the political, social, religious and military history of 17th century England for a long time. This book does that, making sense out of a very confusing period.

Fascinating and timely!

This book provides a fascinating overview of how a society changed over just a hundred years. So many of the issues are the same as today. Highly partisan, massive flips in perspective and coalitions, tremendous changes in society, an increasingly global economy, tensions between urban and rural perspectives, etc. Highly recommended.

Excellent and fascinating!

Excellent review of the middle of the English 17th century, with attention to social, economic, and religious conflicts. The text may suffer from divergent levels of detail and some inconsistent pacing. For example, (spoiler) the trial and execution of King Charles are breezily narrated while an initial scene of Rush Bearing against Puritanism is lingered over and described in great detail. This may be all chalked up to readerly preference.

Very interesting period

liked the scope of the book, good details on Engalnd and how they fit in the context of other countries. however, very hard to follow all of the names and how they fit into the story.

Can’t overstate how much I enjoyed this book

I have been reading a lot recently about the English Civil Wars. This book covers the wars again but bookends the lead up and consequences.

The book is well researched and well written. There were details presented, particularly regarding public sentiment that I had not heard before.

The book is simple the best thing I have read for some years.

Best 17th Century History of Britain

The century that encompassed the English Civil War, Restoration, and Glorious Revolution is one of the most politically intricate periods in British history. This is by far the best overview of this time that I have ever read. The author investigates the demographic, social, and religious movements of the time, and shows their effect on the larger political developments. It’s one of the best histories that I have ever listened to, and the narration is exceptionally clear.

Narration is sooo slow

Good book. My complaint is that the narrator seems to have been instructed to read at an inhumanly slow and unvaried tempo, which makes it absolutely painful to listen to. A lot of the humor in the original text is undetectable because there is no variation in the cadence of narration. The narrator seems to have more of a regional British accent (totally fine) and my fear is that he was instructed to read more slowly to accommodate the American market. If so, it’s really unnecessary. Would have been perfectly understandable and much more enjoyable at a normal speed.

Clear and engrossing account of complicated events

I have been trying to get a handle on 17th-century English history. It is a gargantuan task, but Healey’s book was a great help. It is well-researched and well-written. The narration of the Audible version is excellent.

Informed, researched, funny, factful.,

There can be no progress without upheaval. And progress in English history happened in small but we'll grounded incremental steps. This book is about that: many lessons to be extracted for today's, all-in, super fast world.

Fine complete history

Very well done history. Two quibbles - the title comes from an ill fitting anecdote that the author shoehorns in; and, the reasons and rationales for Cromwell’s rise to power are hardly touched at all. But overall this is a magnificent retelling of a story with critical importance to our world today. We’ll worth your time.