Excellent Dramatisation

This is a noisy, action-packed and fast-paced drama set in the middle of the English civil war.

It’s a great recording, and sounds fantastic through multiple speakers.

I liked how the drama is split into 12 sections, like the radio broadcast, so it is easy to listen to as much or as little as you like with natural breaks.

It might be helpful to refresh yourself with the main protagonists and their roles, before listening - as everything happens very quickly in this production!

I found this a really enjoyable and entertaining listen, and I particularly liked how the drama focused on the soldiers more than big political players.

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3 people found this helpful

Riveting and vivid

Should be compulsory for all school students as part of their citizenship education. It’s a formative but forgotten or ignored part of our national story.

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1 person found this helpful

Absolutely riveting. A tour de force.

This has to be one of
the best radio plays of all time. The story is skilfully constructed, the direction and performances superb. I found it absolutely riveting! Don't miss it!!

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8 people found this helpful

Dated

It’s an OK listen if you’re interested in the history. A bit too much overacting for my liking but the biggest issue is the volume which is all over the place.

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2 people found this helpful

A fascinating insight into Oliver Crowell

The journeys, battles, trials and tribulations in the life of Oliver Cromwell. God's Man or villain

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1 person found this helpful

Loved it on Radio4 Extra so I bought the audiobook

A great listen on Radio4 Extra, it's even better now that I can listen when I like.
It's an English Civil war drama that engages the listener in historical events, not just of the main characters such as Oliver Cromwell and King Charles, but many of the troops.
A recommendation for anyone interested in historical drama.

Chapters are named.

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7 people found this helpful

Compelling story accessibly presented

The story is well constructed and held my attention for over 11 hours of intensive listening. Some excellent voice acting, particularly Bernard Hepton as Cromwell and Nigel Antony as Fairfax. There is the occasional variation in volume as others have said but I didn’t get distracted by it. It might be slightly ‘worthy’ for some but it’s of its time. I don’t think a production on this epic scale on this subject would be attempted now…. Thanks Audible and the other reviewers for recommending.

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hard to listen to.

the recording was really bad. the sound levels were going up and down . spoilt the whole book.

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3 people found this helpful

Really entertaining and enjoyable

History brought to life, a helicopter view of the reintroduction of power after the 1st and second civil wars. Great!

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1 person found this helpful

Top Drawer, a must Civil War enthusiasts

A really strange thing happened with this audiobook for me, I spent the first two hours regretting the purchase finding the characters unlikeable & the plot dated. Then because those two hours were spent mainly on character development they picked the plot up & I was gripped. The sudden change of pace & events coming thick & fast really gave the impression of momentum of fast changing times which lends itself to the story. In that respect the cast & production is first class. Some ppl have said the sound levels aren't right but I didn't experience that. There are a few moments when the cast are speaking in different volumes but this seemed to me intentional, quietened speech being conspiratorial or pondering with the loud direct forceful speech (mainly Cromwell).

Synopsis wise this play tells the story of The New Model army having to deal with victory in the Civil Wars & their new found politicisation. Every man has a different idea of what should come next, what England they are building & this tells the tale of those different voices as they try to get their prefered settlement adopted whilst events change around them.

There is one negative & that is that the portrayal of women is quite dated. I'm not talking about historically but as characters in media. They are reduced to the old tried & tested being married off without consent as being the main female character plot point which is a shame as there are some significant historical women here like Lilburne's wife who could really have gotten a bigger role. There is one notable plot where a soldier's wife goes astray, the whole plot there revolves around her having to make it up to him & get his forgiveness & she is really portrayed as just hysterical woman who gets carried away. There really should have been more on her motivations it's dangerously close to the old medieval trope of women being sex mad temptresses that need to be controlled by men.

Not really a complaint but the writer has a hard on for Gerald Winstanley & shoehorns in a brief plot that goes nowhere to show what an awesome peace loving dude he was. All other characters are shown with strengths & weaknesses but Winstanley is like a hero of the 60s cinema who does & says everything perfectly right constantly. His handful of scenes made me eyeroll a fair bit.

Those negatives are two small sub plots though, the mass of the story is with the leadership of the army & is superb. I am now frantically searching for anything similar to consume.

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