On 16 September 2025, The Blood in Winter: A Nation Descends, 1642 will be released in the United States, following its UK publication earlier this year. Written by Dr Jonathan Healey, Associate Professor in Social History and Course Director for the Diploma in English Social and Local History and the MSc in English Local History, the book offers a gripping new account of the months that led to the outbreak of the English Civil War.
A nation on the brink
In the winter of 1642, England stood on the edge of conflict. Years of political tension had built to crisis point when King Charles I attempted to arrest five Members of Parliament on 4 January. His unprecedented act set in motion a chain of events that would fracture the fragile peace and plunge the country into war.
The Blood in Winter captures this fraught atmosphere in vivid detail: the crowded streets of London thick with coal smoke, angry protests spilling into the open, and a society divided between loyalty to the king and a growing appetite for parliamentary power.
Critical recognition
In the UK, the book has been critically acclaimed, including a five-star review in The Telegraph and a place in its “Best Books to Read in 2025” list, where it was described as “energetic and exceptional,” praising Healey’s ability to “create a vivid reconstruction of England on the brink.”
In its review, The New York Times commended Healey for showing how governance, loyalty, religion and even everyday accidents shaped the descent into war: “Healey brings these debates to life with a vast and vividly drawn cast of characters … avoiding the oversimplifications that hindsight can bring.”
The Blood in Winter can be purchased through Penguin Random House in the US or on Amazon in the UK.
For Dr Healey, the themes explored in The Blood in Winter also connect with his teaching at Oxford Lifelong Learning. As Course Director for the Diploma in English Social and Local History and the MSc in English Local History, he introduces students to the study of everyday life in early modern England, with a focus on working directly with historical sources and understanding the experiences of people and communities often overlooked in broader accounts.
