David Horspool - The English Rebel: One Thousand Years of Trouble-Making From the Normans to the Nineties

VIKING

Published by the Penguin Group

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First published in 2009

Copyright David Horspool, 2009

The moral right of the author has been asserted

All rights reserved

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book

ISBN: 978-0-67-091826-3

For Jules

Men would be angels, angels would be gods.

Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell,

Aspiring to be angels, men rebel.

Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man (17334)

Rebels in English history have been on my mind at least since I was given a copy of R. J. Unsteads book Princes and Rebels by my parents. I dont suppose they would have expected it to take more than thirty years for the gift to bear fruit, but it is thanks to them, first of all, that it has. My mother knows how much effort goes into writing a book and preparing it for publication, and has been a reassuring comparer of notes. My father has read this book chapter by chapter as it was being written, and has proved an ideal constructive critic, as well as a generous lender of Oxford Histories. My much-missed uncle Lodewijk Blok, who died just as I was coming to the end of writing this, was a historian of the Netherlands who was always encouraging of his nephews ideas about English history. My family debts extend to my brother, and to my mother- and father-in-law, who provided in Dorset one of the many different homes in which the book took shape. My second home has been the London Library, where all things books, reading room and staff are congenial to reading, writing and thinking.

At the Times Literary Supplement, my editor, Peter Stothard, was uncomplainingly accommodating, while my colleagues particularly Robert Potts and Adrian Tahourdin were always supportive. Rupert Shortt has not only been a wonderful sounding-board, but also an example of authorial professionalism. Martin Smiths help with picture research was invaluable. Outside the office, both Harry Mount and Mark Bostridge have repeatedly bolstered my confidence, and shown how friendship and authorship neednt be mutally exclusive. To Harry I owe also the recommendation of the peerless Douglas Matthews to index the book. Katie Bonds shared experience of the publishing process has kept me sane.

Peter Straus was the first person to convince me that this book was one worth writing. In finding a home for it at Viking, he also introduced me to the ideal editor in Kate Barker, who constantly realigned my thinking, and patiently helped me turn a series of chapters into a book. Will Hammond, Sarah Hulbert and Mark Handsley have all carried through the good work.

Several wiser heads have kindly agreed to read the book and share their thoughts before publication, including Professors Diane Purkiss, Peter Hennessy, David Kynaston and Linda Colley, as well as Ferdinand Mount. Professor Nicholas Vincent of the University of East Anglia did even more, combing through the text and giving me the benefit of his extraordinary erudition and insight. With such formidable help, errors shouldnt remain, but those that do are most certainly my own fault.