From 1649 to 1660 England was ruled by a standing army for the only time in its history. This is the first study to describe the nature of that experience, both for members of the army and for civilian society. It offers new perspectives on Oliver Cromwell, the Major-Generals, and the reasons for the restoration of the Stuart monarchy in 1660.

From 1649-1660, England was ruled by a standing army for the only time in its history. In The Army in Cromwellian England Henry Reece describes, for the first time, the nature of that experience, both for members of the army and for civilian society. Split into three parts, the first section looks at the size of the army, its material needs, promotion structure, and political engagement to provide a sense of the day-to-day reality of being part of a standing army. The second part considers the impact of the military presence on society by establishing where soldiers were quartered, how they were paid, the material burden that they represented, the divisive effects of the army's patronage of religious radicals, and the extensive involvement of army officers in the government of the localities. The final section re-evaluates the army's role in the political events from Cromwell's death to the restoration of the Stuart monarchy, and explains why the army crumbled so pitifully in the last months of the Commonwealth.

This is an intriguing study of a crucial institution at a critical time in English history. It is a complex story ... and Reece does an excellent job in describing it.