17th Century Historical Fiction – real & relevant
Why do I write 17th Century historical fiction? It is not the easiest period to set a novel. Even the great Robert Harris talks about the challenges of writing fiction set in the 17th Century, including his Act of Oblivion. For me, I think it is the fact that it can feel both relatable and highly relevant today.
I think that if you care about the history – and want to tell a story that is historically accurate and authentic – the 17thCentury is a challenging period in which to set a novel. The period is well documented, but complex. I sometimes wish that I had chosen to write fiction set in the Dark Ages, in which we know comparatively little and the rest is well – fiction.
Historical Fiction Taboo – complexity, politics & constitution
For many generations, the English Civil War was an almost taboo period for historical fiction. I think this has a lot to do with the complexity of the period, but also the fact that it saw the birth pangs of the British political system and our political parties.
Recently, we witnessed the coronation of a king – King Charles III. The ceremony is the crowning moment – literally – of the British constitution. But it is a ceremony filled with extraordinary compromises. It is one born out of the need to stitch a nation back together after years of brutal internal conflict.
That taboo has been broken. That said, the period is still treated with caution by literary agents and publishers. But I think there is now an appetite amongst readers to delve into the 17th Century and understand what it felt like to live through it. I put this down to a growing feeling that we are facing turbulent times – a feeling that the old systems are not coping and that our world may yet be ‘turned upside down’.
Historical Research – black powder & drums, not dragons
Initially, I thought I would just write a commercial novel. I told myself I didn’t need to worry about the history. But the more I got into the period, the more I felt I had to do justice to it. There are so many extraordinary stories from the English Civil War. They just need to be told. There is no need for fictional dragons!
In the end, I found I had to be true to the history and my writing is as accurate and authentic as I can make it. So – yes, I worry about getting the history right. This involves a lot of research, but I love it.
The danger is, an author can get lost in research and never really write. I hope I find the right balance. I also get up from the desk and walk the battlefields. This is essential for me and one of the best bits, matching first-hand accounts to the ground.
I have come to really appreciate the role of re-enactment and Living History in understanding some of what it felt like to live and fight in the 17th Century. I was a career soldier in the British Army and a bit of a sceptic. But, the opportunity to spend a day as a musketeer or pikeman on a ‘battlefield’ has been invaluable – to be amongst the sound and smell of black powder, horses and drums. It is also a lot of fun.
Realistic War Fiction – soldiers, violence & bloody conflict
I write from the perspective of ‘ordinary’ men and women facing each other in the chaos of Britain in civil war. Much of my writing draws on my own experiences as a soldier – especially operational deployments to conflict zones. It also draws on time spent on the ground countering extremism and terror.
My writing has been described as brutal. It is realistic. I don’t believe in trivialising violence. I don’t like fictional accounts of fighting that make it sound easy. Combat is exhausting, physically and mentally. It takes a great deal of effort to stay alive, let alone kill an enemy.
I equally dislike accounts that gloss over the realities of war. By its nature, human conflict is violent. It is brutal. Civil wars are almost always particularly brutal. We should not pretend otherwise.
Human nature has changed very little over time. Fundamentally, we feel, think and act in the much same way. This is especially true on the battlefield, in combat and under fire. Soldiers are soldiers. They have changed very little since their birth as the oldest profession on earth.
We should never forget that the English Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in our history. It was worse even than the Great War of 1914-18. No other conflict has seen a greater loss of life per head of population across Britain and Ireland.
Relatable Fiction – hardship, injustice & extremism today
Thankfully, 17th Century historical fiction can feel very relatable. Unlike earlier periods, the Early Modern world was not so very different from our own. It was a mercantile, global world with developing science, technical and political ideas. Like our own, it faced huge pressures.
Hardship, inequality, injustice – Issues that resonate today – were endemic and deepening. Today we face tribalism, ‘culture war’ and resurgent extremism. These too have their own dark and violent echoes in 17th Century Britain, Europe and America.
Rapid population growth after the Black Death placed huge pressures on 17th Century societies. Living standards and life expectancy dropped. By the 1630s, people were living shorter lives in England than they had under Elizabeth I.
The old systems of farming, commerce and government broke down. People searched for new answers. They sought change. But change is rarely harmonious. Rarely do we see universal agreement on the direction or rate of change. As people failed to find answers, they turned to more and more extreme political and religious ideas. In the end, societies turned against themselves in violent conflict.
Relevant Writing – 17th Century Climate Change & global conflict
Most of all, I think I write 17th Century historical fiction because it feels sharply relevant today. Many readers feel a deep unease. The old systems that created our capitalist world are now strained.
The 17th Century was a period of extraordinary change and upheaval. When we think about it, the 17th Century is a dichotomy. We know it to be Europe’s ‘Golden Age’ of art, science and culture. And yet, we also know it to be an absolutely black age. It was a time of persecution, of war, famine and plague.
People were slaughtered in their thousands for their religious beliefs. Hundreds were simply accused of heresy or witchcraft to be hanged or burnt at the stake.
We now know that it was Climate Change that tipped a 17th Century world under pressure into violent conflict. The Little Ice Age devastated crops and pushed the price of bread to unaffordable heights. War followed on a global scale.
The 1640s was the most violent decade in history – ever. Conflicts raged across the globe from Japan, through China and Eurasia to the Americas. Today we know this period as The General Crisis. It included the English Civil War, as well as the Thirty Years War and the European Wars of Religion.
Ultimately, 17th Century historical fiction offers a reflection of the consequences of political and religious extremism today. I have been overwhelmed by reviews and feedback stating that my writing has felt very relevant as well as relatable to readers today.
Heroes & Villains – veterans, petitioners & the Little Ice Age
My writing tries to take a fresh approach. It is not based on a single hero. It does not take sides. I try to tell the story of actual events – bring them alive – through the perspectives and voices of ‘ordinary’ people caught up in the conflict. Characters that find themselves facing each other on the battlefield.
Most people today will tell you that they are a ‘roundhead’ or a ‘cavalier’. Ultimately, I think everyone in the 17thCentury thought they were doing the right thing – that they were saving England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales. It is one of the real evils of a civil war.
Personally, I don’t have a particular historical hero. None of my characters are heroes. Perhaps I am a bit of a clubman. If I was pushed to choose a hero, I think it would be someone like Corporal Rowland Humphrey. He fought throughout the First English Civil War – receiving seven serious wounds – at Edgehill, Reading, Bristol, Newbury, Kidlington Green, Banbury, Lostwithiel and Devizes.
We have no picture of Rowland Humphrey. We only know his name as a wounded and disabled petitioner begging for help. It is people like this that I try to write about.
If I had to pick a villain, it would be Climate Change – the Little Ice Age. Its impact turned an unstable world ‘upside down’, throwing it into violent conflict with itself.
This post was first published as a guest post on The 17th Century Lady website.
Follow & Read More – News, events & 17th Century history
I hope this post was of interest. If so, you might enjoy some of the other posts in this Author Blog. These include posts on Author Life & Writing Historical Fiction and Book Publishing. Alternatively, check out the Divided Kingdom News posts for book offers and updates.
You can also find a series of posts on this website about life in Early Modern Britain. These include the 17th Century Almanac monthly blog. There are also posts on the British Civil Wars and Living History.
If you would like to meet, please do check out the Author Talks & Book Signings or History Talks & Battlefield Walks I give at Charles Cordell Events. If one of these events will be near you, please do come along, join me and say hello.
Finally, this website includes articles and pages about life in 17th Century Britain, Europe and the Americas at Historical Notes and Maps. These include articles on the impact of the Little Ice Age and The General Crisis of the 17th Century. They also include historical notes from my research on the English Revolution and Great Rebellion, as well as English Civil War battles.
If you would like to receive an email notification of my next post, just click the button to follow.
Divided Kingdom – English Civil War historical fiction
This 17th Century historical fiction post aims to offer a little of the backstory to my writing and the Divided Kingdom books. This historical fiction series is set in Early Modern Britain during the English Civil War. I hope you enjoy the books.
The Divided Kingdom novels take a fresh approach. They are not based on a single hero. They do not take sides. Their voices – ordinary men and women – face each other in the chaos of Britain in civil war. They are both relatable and sharply relevant today. They are also as historically accurate as possible.
Please do check out some of the writing at Divided Kingdom Books, including book tasters and a FREE ebook short story.
See More – social media & the Divided Kingdom Readers’ Club
Alternatively, check out Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube for more posts. These include notes from my historical research, Living History and English Civil War fiction. They also include upcoming events and opportunities to meet. Or, follow on social media at #DividedKingdomBooks or #EnglishCivilWarFiction on:
If you want even more, join us in the Divided Kingdom Readers’ Club. You will receive FREE exclusive access to unpublished short stories, email and more. Click the link to sign up and join the Clubmen.
Spread the Word & Share
If you like what you see, please click, share and spread the word via email or your social media on:
