The Dales of Dale's Field have farmed their Yorkshire estate for generations. But conflict with a local enemy and the outbreak of the English Civil War make a deep impact on Will Dale, the young yeoman farmer currently the estate's owner. His instinct to support the Royalist cause puts him inevitably in conflict with many in the North. This also leads to surprising chance encounters as the Parliamentarians move inexorably towards executing King Charles I. In more personal terms, the tumultuous times frustrate Will's hopes of making a stable life with the woman he loves. Fletcher wrote a number of historical studies of Yorkshire—indeed, all his early novels were in this genre. When Charles the First Was King is described in Jonathan Nield's authoritative guide to Victorian historical fiction as "an excellent Yorkshire tale." It stands up well in the company of its more famous contemporaries. J. S. Fletcher (died 1935) was a major literary figure of the early 20th century. Their work has endured across generations and continues to be read and studied worldwide. As a work of classic literary fiction, When Charles The First Was King exemplifies the narrative craft and social insight that defined great storytelling of its era. Literary fiction of this period was characterized by careful attention to character psychology, social milieu, and the moral questions that animated public discourse.
