God’s Vindictive Wrath is an English Civil War novel by Charles Cordell. It is the first in the historical fiction series Divided Kingdom.
God’s Vindictive Wrath
From the carnage of Edgehill, via Oxford and the clash at Aylesbury, to the barricades at Brentford – each character must face the brutal reality of war. This story is not based on a single hero. It does not take sides. Its voices – ordinary men and women – face each other in the chaos of Britain in civil war. All have answered a call to save England. Now only an English mile separates them on the battlefield.
'As only a soldier could, Charles Cordell does not flinch from drawing attention to the shear terror of battle, in a way that emphasises detailed research woven meticulously into this gripping first book.'
Jeremy Fowler, Adjutant General of The Sealed Knot
'That rare talent of blending historical veracity with the credible reality of contemporary personal stories.'
General Stuart Skeates CB CBE
'Quite outstanding - historical fiction at its very best.'
General Stuart Skeates CB CBE
'Charles Cordell, a former soldier, writes with a bravura confidence.'
Antonia Senior, The Times
'A great read! Do not miss this evocative account of the start of the English Civil War.'
Ben Kane, Sunday Times bestselling author, The Forgotten Legion, Hannibal, Spartacus and The Lionheart series
'The problem with this book is not to start reading it, but to stop and do anything else. It's a page turner alright.'
Bob Burgess, Master of Horse of The Sealed Knot
'Characters that immediately grow on you, experiencing battle through the eyes of each personality, as it happens in the same engagement. Quite unique.'
Jeremy Fowler, Adjutant General of The Sealed Knot
'A fast-paced read that brilliantly captures the fear, confusion and luck of battle for the soldier.'
General Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE
'It was also the one that made me care most about the characters.'
Professor Ronald Hutton CBE FRHistS FSA FLSW FBA
'Of all the many novels set in the English Civil War that I have read, this was the one that described most perfectly the use of the different arms, and the experience of the face of battle.'
Professor Ronald Hutton CBE FRHistS FSA FLSW FBA
'There are not enough tales like this set in the 17th Century.'
Michael Arnold, author of the Civil War Chronicles and Highwayman series
'Once the fighting starts, this chorus of voices recreates, with visceral intensity, the confusion and intensity of a large-scale pitched battle.'
Antonia Senior, The Times
'Straight into the action, fast-paced and authentic, with characters that are colourful and believable.'
Michael Arnold, author of the Civil War Chronicles and Highwayman series
'Stirring. You can almost hear the roar of cannon and the thunder of hooves.'
Ben Kane, Sunday Times bestselling author, The Forgotten Legion, Hannibal, Spartacus and The Lionheart series
God’s Vindictive Wrath is available in store and online as a paperback or Kindle ebook. The paperback cover price (RRP) is £8.99 (US$9.97). The Amazon Kindle price is £5.48 (US$6.59). However, retail prices do vary.
You can buy this book in store at Waterstones, Blackwells, Foyles and WHSmith, as well as good independent bookshops. If you have the time, please do support your local bookshop by visiting and asking for a copy, or order via their website at:
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God’s Vindictive Wrath was published by Myrmidon, in English, on 12 July 2022 under ISBN: 1910183318.
Preview – Read First Chapters – FREE
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Endorsements for God’s Vindictive Wrath
‘Stirring. A great read! You can almost hear the cannon roar and the thunder of hooves. Do not miss this evocative account of the start of the English Civil War.’ Ben Kane, Sunday Times bestselling author, The Forgotten Legion, Hannibal, Spartacus and The Lionheart series
‘Of all the many novels set in the English Civil War that I have read, this was the one that described most perfectly the use of the different arms, and the experience of the face of battle. It was also the one that made me care most about the characters.’ Professor Ronald Hutton CBE FRHistS FSA FLSW FBA
‘A fast-paced read that brilliantly captures the fear, confusion and luck of battle for the soldier.’ General Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE
‘Fast-paced and authentic. With characters that are colourful and believable. There are not enough tales like this.’ Michael Arnold, author of the Civil War Chronicles and Highwayman series
‘As only a soldier could, Charles Cordell does not flinch from drawing attention to the shear terror of battle, in a way that emphasises detailed research woven meticulously into this gripping first book. I am certain there will be many more.’ Jeremy Ravenshaw Fowler, Adjutant General of The Sealed Knot Society
Critical Reviews of God’s Vindictive Wrath
‘Charles Cordell, a former soldier, writes with bravura confidence.’ Antonia Senior, The Times
‘An exciting minute-by-minute story of the English Civil War … from the soldiers’ point of view … the historical accuracy is fantastic … the storyline and the writing style tremendously exciting.’ Susie Helme, Historical Novel Society
‘This book charged into my memory and dreams – it is VIVID! … you can smell it … original, interesting, entertaining, thought-provoking – an excellent read.’ Dr Beth Rogers, John Hampden Society
”Visceral’ historical fiction.’ The Bookseller
‘Quite outstanding – historical fiction at its very best.’ General Stuart Skeates CB CBE
Readers’ Reviews and Ratings
Readers’ reviews are posted on the God’s Vindictive Wrath pages at Goodreads and Amazon, including:
‘Brutally realistic’
‘Visceral and exciting’
‘New, different and good’
‘A fantastic read, gripping and thought provoking’
‘Original and insightful … easily the most enjoyable book I have read this year.’
‘Read it and you will never again be able to pass through an unassuming English town without wondering about violent secrets in the past.’
‘For years, my favourite novelisation of battle was Michael Shaara’s Pulitzer Prize winning account of Gettysburg – Killer Angels. But this is better.’
If you enjoy reading God’s Vindictive Wrath, please do post your own review. Positive reviews are really important to new authors. Without them there is little chance of being published again. The best place you can do this is via your bookshop website, Amazon or Goodreads. I really hope you will want to read more of the Divided Kingdom series.
God’s Vindictive Wrath Characters, Historical Notes & Maps
I hope you will get to know all of the God’s Vindictive Wrath characters. This website includes character notes on each of them. You can find historical notes and maps to accompany their story at Notes and Maps. This includes background articles on The General Crisis of the 17th Century, the English Revolution and Great Rebellion, and Pike and Shot Warfare, as well as notes to accompany the text on the battles of Edgehill, Aylesbury and Brentford.
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