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God's Executioner: Oliver Cromwell and the Conquest of Ireland
 
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God's Executioner: Oliver Cromwell and the Conquest of Ireland (Hardcover)

by Michael O'Siochru (Author)
3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 316 pages
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber (2 Oct 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0571218458
  • ISBN-13: 978-0571218455
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 4,014,300 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description

Cromwell spent only nine months of his eventful life in Ireland, yet he stands accused there of war crimes, religious persecution and ethnic cleansing. In a century of unrelenting, bloody warfare and religious persecution throughout Europe, Cromwell was, in many ways, a product of his times. As commander-in-chief of the army in Ireland, however, the responsibilities for the excesses of the military must be laid firmly at his door, while the harsh nature of the post-war settlement also bears his personal imprint. A warrior of Christ, somewhat like the crusaders of medieval Europe, he acted as God's executioner, convinced throughout the horrors of the legitimacy of his cause, and striving to build a better world for the chosen few.


About the Author

Micheal O Siochru is a native of Dublin, lectures in history at Trinity College, Dublin and has written extensively on seventeenth-century Ireland. His publications include Confederate Ireland 1642-1649: A Constitutional and Political Analysis and Kingdoms in Crisis: Ireland in the 1640s.

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7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Biased account, 28 May 2009
By William Podmore (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: God's Executioner: Oliver Cromwell and the Conquest of Ireland (Paperback)
For a more balanced account, see historian Tom Reilly's book, Cromwell: an honourable enemy. The untold story of the Cromwellian invasion of Ireland. He finds that, contrary to the myth, Cromwell did not indiscriminately massacre ordinary unarmed Irish people.

Before he started the campaign, Cromwell issued a proclamation, "I do hereby warn ... all Officers, Soldiers and others under my command not to do any wrong or violence towards Country People or persons whatsoever, unless they be actually in arms or office with the enemy ... as they shall answer to the contrary at their utmost perils." This was no empty threat: before even reaching Drogheda, Cromwell ordered two of his soldiers to be hanged for stealing hens.

His forces killed the military defenders of Drogheda and Wexford, not the townspeople, acting according to standard 17th-century military norms. There are no eye-witness accounts of indiscriminate slaughter, or of the death of even one unarmed defender or of one woman or child.

After the Restoration, Cromwell was the main target of political and religious attack. The Royalists attacked him on everything, especially the Irish campaign. Irish nationalists, Catholic publicists and infantile leftists assisted with fabrications and propaganda. The Irish bishops lied that Cromwell's religious policies could not be `effected without the massacring or banishment of the Catholic inhabitants', so the propagandists had to allege the massacres.

History is not a matter of opinion, or of repeating allegations without investigation. We are obliged to use evidence, primary sources, and eye-witness accounts, and we are duty-bound to stick to the verified facts, at whatever cost to our previous judgements.


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24 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Tinted History, 1 Nov 2008
By C. W. Robinson (Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: God's Executioner: Oliver Cromwell and the Conquest of Ireland (Paperback)
This book does not provide us with anything new as regards to some Irish attitudes to Cromwell, it merely repeats what has gone before. Its style is the new instant history, written for 'television' varity that is so common today.Expressions like 'well known bigot' are hardly expressions you expect to find in serious history books,well I don't anyway!He cherry picks his sources to suit his arguement,it is also a bit short on notes.
He is making the mistake that so many Irish historians have a habit of making, he has forgotten to take his 'green tinted glasses' off.If you want your history in black & white this is the book for you.But history does not come in black or white(or Orange & Geen for that matter),but shades of grey.Cromwell was a man of his time with all that implies.In the Ireland of the 1640's and 50's no ones hands were clean.Also is does show that a history degree or even a doctorate does not nessicerly make one a good historian.
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6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Overview, 12 Dec 2008
By Bernard Dee (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: God's Executioner: Oliver Cromwell and the Conquest of Ireland (Paperback)
This is a period of history that I am not very familiar with so I found this book to be exceptionally useful in providing a well structured, comprehensive and balanced overview of the period. In contrast with the first reviewer I found the author to be very even handed when distributing both criticisms and praise. The book made me want to explore this period in greater detail, especially the various sieges, which to my mind is the sign of a good book - it inspires the reader to explore the topic further. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a general interest in the period who wishes to get to grips with the issues and players of this complex period of Irish history. As an aside I read this book immediately after the magesterial 4 volume history of the Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan and God's Executioner was not found wanting in comparison with Kagans masterwork.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what it says on the tin
Oliver Cromwell's expedition to Ireland in 1649 is understandably something that historians take a lot of interest in. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Henry Ireton

5.0 out of 5 stars Without the wart.
Dr O'Siochru book is well researched history of Cromwell's military activities in Ireland in the 1640's. Read more
Published 11 months ago by P. G. Lee

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