Killers of the King

The Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I

By: Charles Spencer

Narrated by: Richard Trinder

Length: 12 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents Killers of the King by Charles Spencer, read by Richard Trinder.

January, 1649. After seven years of fighting in the bloodiest war in Britain’s history, Parliament faced a problem: what to do with a defeated king, a king who refused to surrender?

Parliamentarians resolved to do the unthinkable, to disregard the Divine Right of Kings and hold Charles I to account for the appalling suffering and slaughter endured by his people. On an icy winter’s day on a scaffold outside Whitehall, the king of England was executed.

When the dead king’s son, Charles II, was restored to the throne, he set about enacting a deadly wave of retribution against all those - the lawyers, the judges, the officers on the scaffold - responsible for his father’s death.

Best-selling historian Charles Spencer explores this violent clash of ideals through the individuals whose fates were determined by that one, momentous decision. A powerful tale of revenge from the dark heart of royal history and a fascinating insight into the dangers of political and religious allegiance in Stuart England, these are the shocking stories of the men who dared to kill a king.

©2014 Charles Spencer (P)2021 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"A pacy, well-researched and beautifully written story of intrigue, betrayal and Realpolitik, but above all cold-blooded institutionalised revenge on a massive international scale." (Andrew Roberts)

"Accomplished and gruesome, this masterful account of the fate of the regicides breaks all barriers in weaving the lives - and the grim fates - of many into a seamless, pacey and riveting read, underpinned by the depth of scholarship for which Charles Spencer is renowned. An exceptional and highly original history book that sheds new light on one of England’s bloodiest episodes." (Alison Weir)

"Imagine The Odessa File re-written by Christopher Hill and you will have some idea of the pleasure to be had in reading Killers of the King. The virtues of a thriller and of scholarship are potently combined." (Tom Holland)

Well written and intriguing

I love Charles Spencer’s writing style. This book reads like a story, rather than a history lesson, and Richard Trinder’s performance very much enhances the experience. It is certainly a good choice for those who wish to learn about the Civil War and particularly what happened afterwards, however I should warn future readers about certain descriptive passages which see examples of medieval Justice being done, but those are a small part of the narrative.

Interesting

The book goes into gory detail about all the hanging/drawing and quartering of the regicides. If you can get through that, the details of the hunting down of the culprits makes a good tale. If you happen from New England, the section on hiding out here and the consequences to New Haven of particular interest.

Who Knew?

Interesting insight into an obscure period of 17th century England - the retribution visited upon those Parliamentarians responsible for the trial and execution of Charles I of England in 1649. While I knew something about Charles II’s brutal revenge upon the regicides of his father, I did not appreciate the depth or extent of his fervor. The story is well developed and wonderfully narrated. A related book that I recently read is “Act of Oblivion” by Robert Harris which has received favorable reviews. It recounts the escape of two of those regicides, Colonel Edward Whalley and Colonel Will Goffe, to New England. I recommend both books to lovers of English history.

Amazing stories of the regicides of Charles I

I really enjoyed the book. It covers an often ignored aspect of the English Civil War - after the restoration of Charles II what revenge was sought on those involved in the trial of his father.

Beautifully written and well researched.

Great book

This book so helped me fill in some gaps for this time. As I am reading the diary of Samuel Prybs ,