• Home
• Membership
• Taking sides: how the Civil War turned friends into enemies

Taking sides: how the Civil War turned friends into enemies

Minoo Dinshaw charts the story of Bulstrode Whitelock and Ned Hyde – two friends who found themselves on opposite sides of a growing conflict during the 1640s

• Ellie Cawthorne

Published: May 23, 2025 at 7:00 AM

Save

• Share on facebook
• Share on twitter
• Share on whatsapp
• Email to a friend

As 17th-century Britain edged ever closer to civil war, two friends, Bulstrode Whitelock and Ned Hyde, found their relationship under increasing strain. Minoo Dinshaw tells Ellie Cawthorne about how these two companions found themselves on opposite sides of a political and ideological divide, and reflects on how the Civil War caused painful ruptures in many personal relationships.

Ad

Minoo Dinshaw is the author of Friends in Youth: Choosing Sides in the English Civil War (Penguin Books, 2025).

Ad

• Buy it now from Waterstones

Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra

Ad

Ad

Loading...

Ad

Loading...