Few people have been so variously assessed, both in their lifetimes and since, as Cromwell - one of the best known but also most controversial figures in English history. In this book his career is divided into four phases, each dealt with separately - provincial gentleman; soldier; Member of Parliament and Lord Protector. Eight contributors present information and the book contains much new research. John Morrill opens and closes the book with an introduction and a final survey of how Cromwell was assessed by his contemporaries.