Truth and Peace

Edward Montagu, the Second Earl of Manchester, has received a bad press from historians. He has traditionally been viewed as a mediocrity, who led the Eastern Association army poorly and hampered the career of his far more able and dynamic subordinate, Oliver Cromwell. However, recent research has thrown doubt on this interpretation. Unlike Cromwell, Manchester has never received a full biography. Truth and Peace aims to reappraise Manchester’s political and military career. By looking at his life in its entirety, it can be seen that he was at the heart of the Parliamentary cause from its inception.

Contrary to the claims of Cromwell and his acolytes, Manchester was an able and diligent commander of the Eastern Association army and a shrewd politician. Following the Restoration, he was one of the former Parliamentarians who enjoyed high office under King Charles II. Despite his prominence in the Restoration Court, Manchester continued to espouse many of the tenets that had led him to oppose King Charles I, but he also served the monarch loyally and diligently.

Truth and Peace will interest scholars of the Stuart era, particularly Civil War enthusiasts. The author has made extensive use of the family papers of the Earl of Manchester, many of which have not been explored before.