Warrior, prince, lover and rogue: there is much to be said for the Essex man.

Henry VIII, Daniel Defoe and Wat Tyler are all covered along with many more in this exciting exploration of Essex Boys. Pepys and Dickens captured Essex in words, while the heads of great Essex families administered its laws and kept the county in order.

Men of Essex have battled Viking marauders, defied Norman warlords, sailed with ‘hearts of oak’ against the Spanish Armada and vanquished Napoleon on both land and sea. A man of music, science and literature, the Essex Boy will always be a man of many guises. Strong and loyal, passionate and ruthless - he is here in the pages of this book.

Augustine Courtauld, Byrhtnoth, Charles Dickens, The Coggeshall Gang, Colchester Jack, Daniel Defoe, Daniel London, Daniel Mendoza, Dick Turpin, Eudo Dapifer, The Lords Rich, Henry VII, Henry VIII, Humphry Repton, The Ingrave Scribes, John Ardley, John Pell, Captain Oates, Myles Graye, Philip Sainty, Prince Albert Edward, Richard Parker, Sir John Hawkwood, Nathaniel Hedge, William Hunter