This sounds like a very interesting book on what happened when friends took opposite sides in the British Civil Wars www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j... - ThreadSky

gregjenner.bsky.social • 55 days ago

This sounds like a very interesting book on what happened when friends took opposite sides in the British Civil Wars https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jan/22/friends-in-youth-by-minoo-dinshaw-review-parallel-lives-in-englands-civil-war?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Comments

cguyver.bsky.social•55 days ago

I liked his biography of Stephen Runciman

sophiacollins.bsky.social•55 days ago

Funnily enough I have been thinking about this all week.
The feeling, watching the news, that the divisions in the way people see things, are unprecedented. Then the realisation that they aren’t unprecedented at all.
If only we listened to historians more…

gregjenner.bsky.social•55 days ago

It’s certainly a time of enormous stress. In elections and referendums, the nation splits in two. But after elections, the losing party often splits again as blame is apportioned, and people slide into acceptance, anger, pragmatism, resistance, apathy etc

sophiacollins.bsky.social•55 days ago

But, I mean, in 1642 or so, you had people from the same village, or even family, joining opposing armies. They must have had dramatically different pictures of reality in their heads, to feel that strongly for each side. In the same way that I and a Trump voter do. But more so.

gregjenner.bsky.social•55 days ago

I think Brexit was similar, in some ways

sophiacollins.bsky.social•55 days ago

Yes, true.

colonel-coibhneil.bsky.social•55 days ago

I know relatively little about the English civil war. Shameful.

gregjenner.bsky.social•55 days ago

Lucky for you I hosted this podcast last month!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026ttz?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

colonel-coibhneil.bsky.social•55 days ago

Ooh thank you!

sarahskelding.bsky.social•55 days ago

Having seen the film for the first today I feel able to say, “Write that down, Historian”.

gregjenner.bsky.social•55 days ago

Haha! Thanks for watching

sarahskelding.bsky.social•55 days ago

Very pleased to have seen it, only slightly annoyed that I left it so long.

the1bagel.bsky.social•55 days ago

Whenever teachers went over the American Civil War, they ALWAYS talked about this sort of friend or brother fighting on the opposite side. Also, as an American, seeing the words British Civil War feels so weird!

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply