The Political Beacon: Or the Life and Character of Oliver Cromwell.

Published by Printed for the Editor, London, 1770

About this Item

First edition of this historical and cautionary work about revolutionary figure Oliver Cromwell. Octavo, original calf spine with paper boards. In good condition. Contains a dedication "To the Sons of Liberty, in General, Wheresover Dispersed, and However Oppressed; and to the Free-Spirited Bostonians in Particular." Rare. Oliver Cromwell (1599â "1658) remains one of the most contested figures in British history, remembered both as a revolutionary statesman and as a divisive autocrat. Rising from relative obscurity as a country gentleman, Cromwell became a skilled military commander during the English Civil Wars, leading the New Model Army to decisive victories against royalist forces. Following the execution of Charles I in 1649, he played a central role in the establishment of the English Republic, and in 1653 assumed power as Lord Protector. While his rule introduced experiments in republican government and expanded Englandâ s influence abroad, it also relied on authoritarian measures, including strict censorship and the suppression of dissent in Ireland and Scotland. Cromwellâ s legacy has therefore been shaped by tension between his role as a defender of parliamentary principles and his reputation as a regicidal dictator, making him a figure continually reinterpreted according to shifting political and historical contexts.

Seller Inventory # 148879

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Political Beacon: Or the Life and Character of Oliver Cromwell.
• Publisher: Printed for the Editor, London
• Publication Date: 1770
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Seller catalogs:
  • Biography and Autobiography