The Making of Oliver Cromwell

“Mr. Hutton writes in a mellifluous style, and his mastery of the material, displayed most clearly in the book’s endnotes, is impressive.”—Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal

“Hutton is a distinguished historian of 17th-century England, and writes with dispassionate authority about the religious and political context of Cromwell’s early life. The result is an absorbing story of a man born into relative wealth and security, apparently lacking ambition yet with an impulsive, brooding temperament.”—Jerry Brotton, Financial Times

“[Hutton] brings to this biography an acute sensitivity to the religious debates; and he has a feel for geography and landscape which enlivens the narrative throughout. He writes, as ever, with fluency and flair. . . . In Hutton’s account, we see the real measure of the man. . . . For an up-to-date view this book now leads the field.”—Michael Braddick, Times Literary Supplement

“Hutton’s book is intelligent, well documented, and stylish.”—Keith Thomas, New York Review of Books

“[Hutton] is incapable of writing a dull sentence. . . . No one can read this book without coming away with their understanding of Cromwell deeply enriched.”—John Adamson, Sunday Times

“[Hutton] uses his deep knowledge of the period, and not a little wit, to ask the right questions and when no definitive answer can be given, as is often the case, teases out plausible explanations. He makes a virtue of this tentative, uncertain but enthralling process, inviting the reader into a shared experience of discovery.”—Paul Lay, Times (UK)

“The Making of Oliver Cromwell had me spellbound. . . . The way in which [Hutton] weighs the evidence for each theory about the young Cromwell exhibits the finest aspects of the historian’s profession. . . . The product of a lifetime’s study, the book has changed my view of the Lord Protector.”—Andrew Roberts, BBC History Magazine, “Books of the Year”

“With painstaking research and imaginative sympathy, Hutton recreates his world from the ground up . . . easing out the tensions between [Cromwell’s] deep religious faith and political ambition. A landmark biography and model of historical scholarship.”—Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times, “Books of the Year: History”

“I loved The Making of Oliver Cromwell. . . . The drama is always vivid, with the 1644 battle of Marston Moor is a particular highlight; the evocation of the seasons beautifully done.”—Tom Holland, BBC History Magazine, “Books of the Year”

“A compelling portrait of Oliver Cromwell’s early life and initial rise to power. . . . Lucid and propulsive.”—Niall Allsopp, Seventeenth-Century News

“[Hutton’s] analysis of Cromwell’s military campaigns is outstanding. He writes of grand strategy with crystal clarity, and his battle narratives are vivid, imaginative, and gripping.”—Neil Faulkner, The Past

“[Hutton] too recognizes that Cromwell had virtues. . . .The result is a book that is deliberately unsettling. It is none the worse for that. It is also a great read. This is a book anyone interested in the Civil Wars needs to read.”—Andrew Barclay, Milton Quarterly

Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2022

“Excellent. Hutton combines outstanding story-telling with impressive analysis. For the first time he cuts through Cromwell’s earnest talk to the slyness. What emerges is something we have not had for a very long time—a really ‘fresh’ life of this major figure in British history.”—John Morrill, author of Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution

“Hutton has given us a rich and radical reassessment of Oliver Cromwell. Essential reading for all who wish to understand this towering figure and his turbulent times.”—Miranda Malins, author of The Puritan Princess

“A gripping, often lyrical and sometimes waspish biography that succeeds brilliantly in its aim: making sense of the most complex and fascinating man in British history.”—Tom Holland, author of Dominion

“A brilliantly fresh and original account of the early life of Oliver Cromwell. Powerfully written, stunningly well-researched and brimming with new insights and perspectives, Hutton’s book provides us with perhaps the most vivid and immediate portrait we have ever had of the future Lord Protector.”—Mark Stoyle, author of Soldier and Strangers