THE WHITE SHIP

KILLERS OF THE KING

After seven years of fighting in the bloodiest war in Britain's history, Parliament had overpowered King Charles I, but what were they to do with a king who refused to surrender? This is a powerful tale of revenge and a fascinating insight into the dangers of political and religious allegiance in Stuart England. These are the shocking stories of the men who dared to kill a king.

TO CATCH A KING: CHARLES II'S GREAT ESCAPE

In January 1649, King Charles I was beheaded in London and Britain became a republic. When his eldest son, Charles, returned in 1651 to fight for his throne, he was crushed by the might of Cromwell’s armies. With 3,000 of his supporters lying dead and 10,000 taken prisoner, it seemed as if his dreams of power had been dashed. The next six weeks would form the most memorable and dramatic of Charles’ life and he suffered grievously when his cause seemed hopeless, even hiding in an oak tree – an event so fabled that over 400 English pubs are named Royal Oak in commemoration. Once restored to the throne as Charles II, he told the tale of his escapades to Samuel Pepys. In this gripping adventure story, Charles Spencer, using Pepys’s account and many others, retells this epic adventure.