Book cover of The Restless Republic: Britain without a Crown

Book description

THE SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 WINNER OF THE POL ROGER DUFF COOPER PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE

Eleven years when Britain had no king.

In 1649 Britain was engulfed by revolution.

On a raw January afternoon, the Stuart king, Charles I, was…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Restless Republic as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Britain’s experiment with republicanism lasted only eleven years (1649-60). Keay explores it through the eyes of a dozen very different characters, from Oliver Cromwell to a cynical journalist, a countess, a country squire, a low-born visionary, and so on.

In each case she gives us a sympathetic insight into the person’s mindset and life, set against the backcloth of public events across England, Scotland, and Ireland.  I have been studying this period for decades and would recommend this book as the ideal introduction for anyone new to it. And there are lots of pictures to add to the page-turning narratives.

If you love The Restless Republic...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like The Restless Republic?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Restless Republic.

Browse books like The Restless Republic

Book cover of The Wandering Army: The Campaigns that Transformed the British Way of War
Book cover of Defender of Canada, Volume 40: Sir George Prevost and the War of 1812
Book cover of Bosworth 1485: The Battle that Transformed England

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Restless Republic, you might also like...

Book cover of Foxfire in the Snow

Foxfire in the Snow by J.S. Fields,

It's a time of change, between magic and alchemy.

Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the…

Book cover of The Main Gate

The Main Gate by Yvonne Kjorlien,

Dr. Elise Marquette has spent years burying the past—until the past refuses to stay buried.

Hired to join Earth’s first interstellar contact team, she hopes the vastness of space will finally offer distance from the ghosts of war and the wounds left by a mother who never let her be…

5 book lists we think you will like!