The Blood in Winter: England on the Brink of Civil War, 1642

A riveting account of the five heated months in which King Charles I attempted to arrest five dissident Members of Parliament by bringing an armed force to the House of Commons—a shocking act of political terrorism that pushed England toward civil war and planted the seeds of the American Revolution

“Netflix should make this enjoyable English civil war history into an epic drama. . . . You could hardly find a more engrossing or exciting story.” —Dominic Sandbrook, The Times (London)

“A lucid, fast-paced and exhilarating account. . . . The House of Cards-ish drama remains gripping to the last.” —John Adamson, Literary Review


In 1641, England exits a plague-ridden and politically unstable summer having reached a semblance of peace: the English and Scottish armies have disbanded, legislation has passed to ensure Parliament will continue to sit, and the people are tentatively optimistic. But King Charles I is not satisfied with peace—he wants revenge.

So begins England’s winter of discontent. As revolutionary sects of London begin to generate new ideas about democracy, as radical new religious groups seek power, and as Ireland explodes into revolt, Charles hatches a plan to restore his absolute rule. On January 4, 1642, he marches on Westminster, seeking to arrest and impeach five Members of Parliament—and so sets in motion a series of events that will lead to bloodshed and war, changing a nation forever.

The Blood in Winter tells the story of an English people’s great political awakening. Jonathan Healey utilizes meticulous archival research to re-create the claustrophobic atmosphere of the day, with rowdy protestors in the streets and London blanketed in coal smoke. Taut and thrilling, Healey’s newest social history shows us what really happened in those fraught winter months that led to civil war. From the radical enclaves of London public houses to a king forced from his capital by the people, it is a rich tapestry of a society in profound distress.