The gripping story of one of the most enigmatic and alluring figures in British history: a dangerous double agent and Irish rogue in King Charles II’s court
One morning in May 1671, a man disguised as a parson daringly attempted to seize the crown jewels from the Tower of London. Astonishingly, he managed to escape with the regalia and crown before being apprehended. And yet he was not executed for treason. Instead, the king granted him a generous income and he became a familiar strutting figure in the royal court’s glittering state apartments.
This man was Colonel Thomas Blood, a notorious turncoat and fugitive from justice. Nicknamed the “Father of All Treasons,” he had been involved in an attempted coup d’etat in Ireland as well as countless plots to assassinate Charles II. In an age when gossip and intrigue ruled the coffee houses, the restored Stuart king decided Blood was more useful to him alive than dead. But while serving as his personal spy, Blood was conspiring with his enemies. At the same time he hired himself out as a freelance agent for those seeking to further their political ambition.
In The Audacious Crimes of Colonel Blood, bestselling historian Robert Hutchinson paints a vivid portrait of a double agent bent on ambiguous political and personal motivation, and provides an extraordinary account of the perils and conspiracies that abounded in Restoration England.
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“A rigorously researched account. Hutchinson’s biography draws extensively on surviving primary sources, including eye-witness accounts of Blood’s many scrapes and court cases. A colorful tale of life in the shadow of the gallows.”
— Spectator (London)
“A carefully researched piece of popular history. Hutchinson sifts the various theories with characteristic thoroughness and lightness of touch.”
— Daily Mail (London)“Hutchinson paints a compelling portrait of a country hectic with sedition. Rambunctious and richly researched.”
— Sunday Telegraph (London)“A marvelous romp.”
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Robert Hutchinson is a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, an associate tutor in church archaeology at the University of Sussex, and an expert in the archaeology of the Reformation. A keen historian and archaeologist, Hutchinson believes that Britain’s history provides stories of more drama and passion than could ever be made up for any television or film screenplay. He uses as many original documents as possible in researching his highly acclaimed books.
Ralph Lister is an actor, voice actor, and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. He spent fifteen years in London theater before moving to the United States to focus on film and television. He has held numerous roles in Shakespeare and modern dramas, as well as starring roles in independent films. His voice and character work can be heard in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearland 13 Going On 30. He lives in Los Angeles.