In this collection of essays, a range of established and early-career scholars explore a variety of different perspectives on Oliver Cromwell's involvement with Ireland, in particular his military campaign of 1649-1650.

In England and Wales Cromwell is regarded as a figure of national importance; in Ireland his reputation remains highly controversial. The essays gathered together here provide a fresh take on his Irish campaign, reassessing the backdrop and context of the prevailing siege warfare strategy and offering new insights into other major players such as Henry Ireton and the Marquis of Ormond. Other topics include, but are not limited to, the Cromwellian land settlement, deportation of prisoners and popular memory of Cromwell in Ireland. Overall, a picture emerges of a more moderate Cromwell than the version that has been passed down in Irish history, tradition and folklore.

CONTRIBUTORS: Martyn Bennett, Heidi J. Coburn, Sarah Covington, John Cunningham, Eamon Darcy, David Farr, Padraig Lenihan, Alan Marshall, Nick Poyntz, Tom Reilly, James Scott Wheeler

About the Author
Martyn Bennett is Professor of Early Modern History at Nottingham Trent University. Raymond Gillespie is Professor of History at Maynooth University. R. Scott Spurlock is Professor of Scottish and Early Modern Christianities at the University of Glasgow.

Reviews
'This volume represents a substantial addition to our knowledge of Cromwell and the period... Above all, it places Cromwell in his context, his position within a wider military machine, his influence on Ireland after his return to England, and it helps to understand his role in the collective memory.'Coleman A. Dennehy, The Seventeenth Century
'This is a book about the physical and mental worlds within which Cromwell operated in his nine months in Ireland... it is a rich and well-written compendium.'John Morrill, Cromwelliana

'[Cromwell and Ireland: New Perspectives] represents a tangible advance on the contrasting and incompatible depictions of the Cromwellian era as years of unrelenting repression or years of reform ... the volume helps to explain the enduring fascination with a man who was convinced he was doing God's work.'
James Kelly, Studia Hibernia

'[Cromwell and Ireland] does indeed offer important new perspectives... Cromwell's legacy in Ireland is a complicated one, and the nuanced insights offered here will go a long way to complicating interpretations, increasing understanding, and generating further debate. Students and scholars alike will find many new and provocative insights in this collection.' John Patrick Montano, Journal of British Studies

Book Information
ISBN 9781837644377
Author Martyn Bennett
Format Paperback
Page Count 328
Imprint Liverpool University Press
Publisher Liverpool University Press