Marcus Nevitt

How weird was Oliver Cromwell?

The pious people’s champion was not only a sadist and ruthless self-promoter; he could also indulge in infantile horseplay during the pressurised period leading up to the regicide

Portrait of Oliver Cromwell by Robert Walker, c.1649. [Alamy] 
issue 24 August 2024

  • Oliver Cromwell: Commander in Chief

    Ronald Hutton

    Yale, pp. 480, £25

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Ruth Bloomfield

Farewell to the Fleet Street I loved

From Spectator Life
Filthy, foetid and fraught with danger. A magnet for hooligans, hard drinkers, a few saints and plenty of sinners. And that was Fleet Street before the newspapers moved in. This ancient thoroughfare, in use since Roman times, is one of London’s most famous occupational streets, much as Jermyn Street is known for its tailors and Harley Street its medics. The difference is that Fleet Street is

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