" Do not trust to the cheering, for those very
persons would shout as much if you and I were going to be hanged'. Oliver
Cromwell.
"I do not know whether you have been alive or
dead. I have not heard you all this time; I have not … Instead of peace and
settlement, instead of mercy and truth being brought together, righteousness
and peace are kissing each other . . . weeds and nettles, briers and thorns,
have thriven under your shadow!"[1]
A good biography of Oliver Cromwell should be to do what Thomas Carlyle did and "drag out the
Lord Protector from under a mountain of dead dogs, a huge load of calumny and
oblivion".
David L Smith's short and handsomely illustrated book
does this to a certain extent. Smith's job is not an easy one as over the
centuries Cromwell's reputation has suffered more than most of calumny and
oblivion.
It is, therefore, a little surprising in 2002 the
Lord Protector was voted 10th Greatest Briton after John Lennon and Horatio
Nelson. His statue still sits outside Parliament. Given Cromwell's celebrity
status. it is still a little
disconcerting to find that it is possible to go through all phases of the UK
education system and not be taught who Cromwell was.
According to one writer "The National Curriculum
at no point prescribes that Cromwell be studied, and the range of GCSE and A
level options also mean that a positive decision has to be taken to teach on
the subject, it does not happen as a matter of course".
It is to David Smith's credit that he has written a
book that is aimed at A-Level students. He tackles a subject that is both
complex and "seldom straightforward".
According to his biography page at Cambridge David L.
Smith is a historian on the Early Modern period of British history. He is
particularly interested in the political, constitutional, legal and religious
history in the Stuart period. He has been an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty
of History at Cambridge since 1995, and he served as Convenor of the Directors
of Studies in History from 2006 to 2010. He also teaches regular weekend,
day-school and summer school courses for Cambridge's Institute of Continuing
Education.
He is the author or co-author of eight books and the
editor of four others. David L Smith's book on Oliver Cromwell from the
Cambridge University Press Topics in History provides us with an excellent
introduction to Oliver Cromwell and his place in history. It is not an orthodox
biography of Cromwell but a guide to study. It works both for A-Level students,
or degree level students. The general reader will find the book a good
introduction to both Cromwell and the English revolution.
A significant amount of scholarship published on
Cromwell and the English Revolution, in general, have prompted some university
examination boards to reflect this at the Advanced level.It is hoped that this
publication is the start of more less expensive resources being made available
to teachers and students alike. After all, it is cheap to study the 17th
century.
Smith's book has managed to combine a high academic
with a relatively small price. The book shows significant objectivity towards
its subject. One problem I have with the book is that dismisses both Whig and
Marxist historiography as outdated and no longer fashionable. Smith's
historiographical preferences are on the conservative side and would not look
out of place with other revisionist historians of his generation.
He states "Over the past 20 years, scholars have
placed much greater emphasis on political and religious culture rather than on
high politics. They are also showing increasing sensitivity to the relationship
between ideas and action, and much more sophistication in the analysis of these
themes. Many of the sources that I use are records of government (e.g. the
State Papers Domestic) and the records of Parliament. I also make extensive use
of the letters, diaries and memoirs left by private individuals, together with
a range of other sources that reveal political or religious attitudes,
including literary sources" [2].
He continues "I came to this period through
being taught as an undergraduate by Professor John Morrill, who later
supervised my PhD thesis. His inspiration and infectious enthusiasm for this
period were crucial in leading me to specialise in it. Another important
influence was the late Professor Sir Geoffrey Elton who also took a very
supportive interest in my work. Both these historians helped me to appreciate
not only the importance of this period but also its complexity, dynamism and
colour".
The book neither favours or criticises Cromwell.
Smith does not pad the book out with long-winded explanations of events or
Cromwell's action. He provides the academic or general reader with strong notes
to carry out further studies. The book appeared when there were significant
re-evaluations of Cromwell and his place in the English Revolution.
Despite having only a hundred and twenty words to
play with Smith has made excellent use a wide variety of primary sources. Smith's
book is a useful tool in navigating the choppy water that is the English
Revolution.
The book has been well received with Irene Carrier
saying "It is a masterly selection from a bewildering profusion of
Cromwellian material. It provides a cogent overview of staunchly held opinions
and interpretations. A hint of a rather mechanical thesis, antithesis,
synthesis approach in the Introduction is occasionally intrusive. Again, the
British dimension merits fuller coverage, both during the 1640s and the
Protectorate. After all, Cromwell was 'Lord Protector of England, Scotland and
Ireland'. Limitations apart, this book is lively, provocative, and an essential
stimulus for Advanced level students".[3]
[1]
The Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell, with Elucidations by Thomas
Carlyle, ed. S. C. Lomas (3 vols., 1904), 11, 407. 409.
[2]
]
https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/prospective-undergrads/history-course/profiles-of-lecturers/smith
[3]
Oliver Cromwell: Politics and Religion in the English Revolution, 16401658,
(Cambridge Topics in History series) by David L. Smith Review by: Irene Carrier
Source: Teaching History, No. 67 (April 1992), p. 38
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