Jim Marshall – författare

The end of ''organised'' combat between the forces loyal to King Charles I and those loyal to Parliament. Charles, isolated in Oxford, is slowly losing all control as the New Model Army under Generals Fairfax and Cromwell deal the final hammer-blows to a disorganised and demoralised royal army.

How all this affects (or is mostly disregarded by) the inhabitants of small Devon towns and villages, who have other things on their minds - how to ensure a sufficiency of food; how they may simply get on with their day-to-day lives; how to protect their

children. How some survivors of the various ''battles'' manage to make a life for

themselves when the fighting stops.

In other words - it is a story of ''ordinary'' folk trying to live through a time of turbulence, religious turmoil, and general uncertainty. Bending official history slightly in the process!

The previous volume, A Shameful War, ended in 1646 with Royalists forces scattered far and wide. The town of Bovey Tracey and its inhabitants were left to continue their own battles with weather, crops, illness, and general upheaval.

A Time of Confusion now takes the story on during the years 1648 and 1649, where life in the South Devon town of Bovey Tracey continues.

There is little time for the ordinary folk to do other than pursue their livelihoods. A vicious bout of the ''Winter Fever'' carries off more than normal; a king is brought to trial - some see it as a mockery - and is beheaded. A Commonwealth is firmly established, and Parliament reigns supreme.

The inhabitants of this small town are left to struggle on as best they may. In the south-eastern lee of Dartmoor, the weather is always a factor!