Ned Pickering: The Exploits, Romances and Adventures of a 17th Century Entrepreneur

Soldier, adventurer, lothario, businessman, entrepreneur ­– Ned Pickering is all this and more.

This mix of historical fact with adventure, drama, romance, tragedy and murder, makes for an entertaining, informative and always, thrilling read.

From the English royal court to the battlefields of the English Civil War, from the genteel estates of Dorset to the scaffold of Charles I, from the chateaux of the French aristocracy to the trading ships of the seven seas, Ned recounts his adventures, his romances, his successes and failures as he matures from nineteen‑year‑old innocent to a wealthy businessman and father of five.

Through his journal, Ned relates his adventures – many by the side of his best friend and mentor, Prince Rupert, the Duke of Cumberland, including an expedition to the Caribbean, and a terrifying naval engagement with the Dutch.

We follow Ned's long relationships, first with the glamorous Duchess of Orleans and then with the beautiful Dorothy Weld, who will become his wife. Ned becomes the first man to welcome Charles II on the king's return to the throne, despite Ned's family history and loyalties - one brother, Sir Gilbert Pickering, is chancellor to Oliver Cromwell and another, Colonel John Pickering, leads his regiment for parliament at Naseby. Ned's great friend and brother-in-law is the Earl of Sandwich, with whom he travels to Portugal to bring back Queen Katherine of Braganza as the wife of Charles II.

Ned is also related to the famous diarist Samuel Pepys, who is lauded by history; however, Ned sees a different side – he thoroughly dislikes Pepys, a pompous and arrogant man, and their conflicts and disagreements add drama and humour to the narrative.

Ned is mentioned over one hundred times in Pepys' diaries, and this adds an historical authenticity to the text, as do the descriptions and details of the English Civil War, the execution of Charles I, the Restoration, the Great Fire of London and the death and funeral of Cromwell.

Historical characters are brought to life: the funny, independent, snobby Duchess of Orleans; the swashbuckling hothead Rupert; the charmingly drunken Winston Churchill; the beautiful, accomplished Dorothy Weld - even Milton and Dryden make an appearance.