The English Civil Wars
A nation divided
4 x 48 minute programmes
It was a time of great bitterness and hatred in
England - a war that set father against son and brother against
brother. The breakdown in relations between a Parliament with a strong
purpose and a King who believed in his divine right to rule set the
scene for a series of brutal battles that were truly a struggle for the
soul of a nation.
This major full length series tells the story of
the war that shaped the course of a nation’s history and laid the
foundations of Britain as it is today.
‘The English Civil War’ is an
authoritative and comprehensive record of one of the true turning
points in British history. The series draws fascinating portraits of
the men who were central to the entire tragic story - men such as King
Charles, Thomas Wentworth and Prince Rupert on the Royalist side and
Cromwell, Fairfax, and Essex on the side of Parliament.
Above all, the series tells the story of a country
torn apart in an informative style, from the first shots at Edgehill in
1642 to the restoration of King Charles II in 1660.
The series features
• Extensive use of art-rendered reconstruction
and recreations of key episodes from the wars
• 3D computer-generated battlefield guides and
mapping techniques
• Rare period imagery
• Extensive use of primary source material,
including rarely seen pamphlets, diaries and memoirs
• Incisive historical, political and military
analysis by leading historians from The National Army Museum, The
English Civil War Society and The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst
Titles in the series
1. A People Divided
The first episode of the ‘English Civil
Wars’ series takes an in-depth look at the years between King
Charles’ accession to the throne in 1625 and the opening battle
of the war in 1642 - Edgehill. The programme delves into the complex
web of political, social, religious and military issues that were the
root causes of the bitter fighting, and sees the story unfold with
tragic inevitability.
2. A Nation At War
The second episode of ‘The English Civil
Wars’ unravels the story of the early and middle phases of the
conflict – a period that saw fortunes fluctuate and opportunities
come and go at the battles / sieges of Gloucester, Bristol, Newbury,
and Marston Moor.
3. To Kill A King
The third episode of ‘The English Civil
Wars’ series recounts the events that eventually led to the
farce of the King’s trial and his appointment with the
executioner’s axe. This episode sees the story unfolded with
tragic inevitability after the Battle Of Marston Moor, and how the
King’s cause was dealt a fatal blow by the calamitous defeat of
his forces at the Battle of Naseby in 1645.
4. The Shadow Of The Scaffold
After the execution of Charles I England was for
the only time in history a commonwealth. This final episode in
the series reflects on an unhappy and uncertain period in the
nation’s history. This episode examines the hideous slaughters at
Drogheda and Wexford, the defeat of the invading Scottish army at
Worcester, the role of Cromwell as Lord Protector, and the eventual
restoration of the monarchy after Cromwell’s death.
