Monmouth's Rebels: The Road to Sedgemoor 1685

In this new study of Monmouth's Rebellion, the last major rebellion to disturb the peace of southern England, Peter Earle concentrates his attention on the rebels rather than on their well-known leader. By imaginative use of local records he has been able to present a convincing profile of the men who followed the ill-starred Duke of Monmouth on his poorly-conducted campaign through the West of England. These men fought for him and for their own ideals at the battle of Sedgemoor, and they suffered and died for those ideals after the Bloody Assizes. It is commonly believed that Monmouth's army was a motley collection of plowboys and apprentices, but it was in fact composed for the most part of serious family men who thought hard before taking the final decision to fight for "the good old cause". In this account of their attempt to overthrow James II, the loyalty, determination and courage of the rebel rank and file is often in strong contrast to the indecision and treachery of their leaders. Monmouth's army failed, and its failure marks the end of the use in England of armed rebellion to fullfil a radical dream.Monmouth's Rebels is the story of the rising from its origins to its tragic endings - an extremely readable, entertaining and an informative book.