Colonel Thomas Blood, Crown-stealer, 1618-1680

"Colonel Thomas Blood, Crown-stealer, 1618-1680" by Wilbur Cortez Abbott is a story about the unbelievable yet true life of Thomas Blood, a notorious person from English history, famous for his bold actions, especially trying to steal the crown. Set in a time of huge political changes in England, the book tells the story of his life while also putting him in the bigger picture of what was happening in that time. Blood is shown as a brave character who does crazy things like kidnapping the Duke of Ormond and stealing the crown jewels, showing a life lived outside the rules. The story shows the reasons for his crimes, connecting them to important times and people of the era. This makes Blood a symbol of a class of people struggling with the big changes happening after the English Civil War.