Jessie has written and reviewed for many papers, including the Sunday Times, Guardian and London Review of Books. TV contributions include the BAFTA-nominated Elizabeth I's Secret Agents (BBC 2 & PBS) and two BBC series on Charles I.

The Siege of Loyalty House: A Civil War Story by Jessie The Siege of Loyalty House: A Civil War Story by Jessie

Abbey Clancy, 37, enjoys a family day out to Thorpe Park with rarely seen lookalike sister Elle, 26

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Childs does not explain just how extraordinarily they were organised, but the main factor was probably promotion on merit rather than the previous system of giving the job of command to the person of highest social rank.

The Siege Of Loyalty House review: Beautifully written The Siege Of Loyalty House review: Beautifully written

Oliver Cromwell’s (above) men had been spurred on by the promise of supplies and plunder, and also by the relentless demonisation of the defenders As Jessie Childs notes in the introduction of her book, The Siege of Loyalty House, the English Civil War claimed a greater proportion of British lives than the First World War. And yet, perhaps inevitably, our understanding of the scale of a conflict that wreaked unfathomable destruction and violence on the British population has dimmed over the centuries. A fable of murderous polarisation: gripping, timely history. Boyd Tonkin , Spectator BOOKS OF THE YEAR IHeidi Klum tantalisingly reveals just PART of her Halloween look after weeks of speculation... so what WILL the queen of the costumes dress as? Jonathan Ross begins preparations for his lavish celebrity Halloween party - after revealing heartbreaking reason why it was cancelled for two years A tale worth telling: The Siege Of Loyalty House is a beautifully written and lucid account of an extraordinary episode of the English Civil War

The Siege of Loyalty House by Jessie Childs | Waterstones

Childs also takes the time to illustrate why landowners (with the example of Edward Pitt of Stratfield Saye) who tried to take a middle path between Royalist and Parliamentary forces could end up choosing one side of the other by suffering their dependents. A gifted narrative historian, eloquent, graceful and witty; the stories she tells are the ones we all should know' Hilary MantelReal Housewives Of Salt Lake City: Mary Cosby tells Whitney Rose to 'grow up' and calls her a 'bobblehead' before storming out of restaurant David Gelber: Chancellors & Chancers - Austria Behind the Mask: Politics of a Nation since 1945 by Paul Lendvai How do you explain bad news to your child? A psychotherapist reveals his 5 tips for helping them understand (and what to NEVER say) Among them was the governor of the garrison, Marmaduke Rawdon, who adopted a stoat as his personal badge. Stoats are ferocious predators but it was also believed that a stoat would rather die than besmirch its beautiful white fur. In addition, the castle was at the lowest point in the middle of an open expanse that allowed superb views of the enemy's activities. Charlotte had assembled a militia of seasoned marksmen who were able to inflict significant losses by sniping.

The Siege of Loyalty House” The pity and horror of “The Siege of Loyalty House”

A fantastic achievement - brings the history of this neglected period of time alive like no other. Childs skilfully tells the story of the Civil War through the lens of the siege of Basing House, and the people caught up in the siege. It's so skilfully and effectively done, and so illuminating, that I forgot I was reading about the 17th century at points as the descriptions of suffering in war etc are so universal. This is war as it should be, passionate, brutal, bloody and chatoic, all described in luscious, evocative prose."

Nicole Kidman's 1998 cult classic Practical Magic was 'cursed' by a witch consultant on the film says director Would have loved a more focussed epilogue though. A bit of analysis from the author would have been a perfect ending. Was this a typical siege? What does it tell us about warfare? What does it tell us about opinions on the cavaliers and Roundheads? Would have given 5* if we had ended with an analysis.