Friends in Youth

This book is an outstanding dual biography of Bulstrode Whitelocke and Edward Hyde, two young men who were close friends but found themselves on opposite sides of the English Civil War. The narrative meticulously recreates the atmosphere, drama, and ideas of early 17th century London, particularly at the Inns of Court.

It details how their hopes for reforming the government of Charles I were dashed by the civil war, and how their friendship was forever changed by the conflict.

Both men survived into old age and became influential historians, shaping our understanding of the period.

Dinshaw’s work is profoundly entertaining, startling in its depth, and serves as a cautionary tale about the human cost of political division.