aBurntShip

                                    Attack on John Dryden 18th December 1679                                                      Portrait of John Dryden by Godfrey Kneller, in Public Domain courtesy of Art UK/Wikipedia Netherlands  My last offering  about  John Dryden (1631 - 1700)  was titled John Dryden and Restoration War Poetry   and posted in 2017. John Dryden's first published poetry included an Ode to Cromwell, yet Dryden switched to being an avid supporter of The Restoration. and became Poet Laureate in 1668.  On 18th December 1679, John Dryden was attacked by three masked ruffians in Rose Alley, Covent Garden on his way home from a coffee house. It is generally accepted that this was a deliberate assault resulting from a private grudge. And whoever organised the beating decided that Dryden was a social inferior. If his opponent felt  that he was of equal rank, Dryden would more likely have been openly  challenged to a duel. On 24th December, Dryden placed an advert in th

I thought that would share my opinion of  some recent 17th century related novels. Will be looking at 'The Wrecking Storm' , by Michael Ward, 'The Puritan Princess' by Miranda Malins, and 'The Last Protector' by Andrew Taylor.  Hopefully they will show the range of different views of the British Civil Wars that fiction authors are currently exploring.  'The Wrecking Storm' - Michael Ward  Michael Ward's first novel. introducing readers to  lead character Thomas Tallant  -'Rags of Time'-was excellent. Superb portrayal of London on the eve of the Civil War, with incredible tensions cutting across the lives of the Tallant merchant family with their strong links to the Dutch United Provinces. facing growing unrest amongst unruly apprentices and the clandestine radical printing presses are making an impact. A couple of murders emerge in all the chaos. Having Elizabeth as Thomas Tallant's love interest, with her fascination with science and smo