A king beheaded. A monarchy abolished. And a commoner leading a republic by military rule set in their place. The wars that tore through the country in the mid-seventeenth century - splitting government, communities and families alike - were a true watershed in English history. But how, with Queen Elizabeth I's Golden Age still in living memory, did such a situation arise?

Exploring the period's political disputes, religious conflicts and military battles, Patrick Little scrutinizes the nature and practicalities of conducting a civil war on English soil, as well as the experiences and motivations of key factions and combatants. By assessing how the realities of life in England shaped the conflict -and were torn apart by it - this wonderfully readable Beginner's Guide gets to the very heart of how a people came to kill their king.