Book 9780461908787

A New And General Biographical Dictionary: Containing An Historical And Critical Account Of The Lives And Writings Of The Most Eminent Persons In Every Nation, Particularly The British And Irish, From The Earliest Accounts Of Time To The Present Period : Wherein Their Remarkable Actions Or Unknown. This volume centers on Oliver Cromwell, tracing his rise from modest beginnings to a decisive military and political leadership during the English Civil War, his governance in the Interregnum and the Protectorate, and his overseas campaigns and domestic power struggles within a contested constitutional framework. It also assembles short biographical sketches of other historical figures—from church fathers to writers—reflecting the encyclopedic scope of the work. The narrative employs analytic assessment and anecdotal detail to explore themes of power, legitimacy, religious pragmatism, and the memory of Cromwell across centuries. The collection presents a cross?disciplinary biographical reference in an eighteenth?century encyclopedic voice.