'To Walk in the Dark': Military Intelligence in the English Civil War, 1642-1646

by John Ellis

Overview

During the bloody years of the First English Civil War, as the battles of Edgehill, Newbury and Naseby raged, another war was being fought. Its combatants fought with cunning and deceit, a hidden conflict that nevertheless would steer the course of history. The story of the spies and intelligence-gatherers of the Roundheads and Royalists is one that sheds new light on the birth of the Commonwealth.

In 'To Walk in the Dark', intelligence specialist John Ellis presents the first comprehensive analysis of the First English Civil War intelligence services. He details the methods of the Roundhead spies who provided their army commanders with a constant flow of information about the movements of the King's armies, describes the earliest use of code-breaking and mail interception and shows how the Cavalier intelligence forces were overcome. He also reveals the intelligence personnel themselves: the shadowy spymasters, agents and femmes fatales. The descriptions of how intelligence information was used in the main Civil War battles are particularly fascinating and show - for the first time - how intelligence information played a decisive role in determining the outcome of the Civil War itself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781803999418
Publisher:	History Press
Publication date:	08/26/2025
Edition description:	New
Pages:	342
Product dimensions:	5.06(w) x 7.81(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

JOHN ELLIS joined the Royal Navy in 1965, specializing in communications and intelligence, going on to hold a number of intelligence-related appointments including two sea commands and MoD. He left the Royal Navy as a Captain and worked for the police and the Home Office before retirement. He has a PhD in intelligence during the English Civil War.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 6

Introduction 7

1 English Intelligence Gathering Before the War 12

2 Intelligence Sources and their Military Applications 21

3 The Strategic Direction and Integration of Military Intelligence 49

4 Establishing the Role of Intelligence - the Edgehill Campaign 1642 71

5 The War Expands - Intelligence Operations in 1643 92

6 The Tide Turns - Intelligence Operations in 1644 118

7 The Triumph of Intelligence Operations-The Campaigns of 1645 147

8 The Impact of Historical Perceptions On Our Understanding of Civil War Operations 169

9 Military Intelligence - A 'Walk in the Dark' or the Deciding Factor? 188

Appendix - Royalist and Parliamentarian Scoutmasters 205

Bibliography 210

Index 219