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The 1640s: 1640–1649
1640–1649 · worldwide, all places
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Parliament's New Model Army smashed Charles I at Naseby in 1645, tried him in 1649 and beheaded him outside Whitehall. The treaties of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648, redrawing Germany into hundreds of small states, and in Ukraine Khmelnytsky's Cossacks rose against Poland the same year.
Naseby in 1645 and Westphalia in 1648 closed a decade that began with an English king claiming divine right. Witchfinder General hunts witches through the war-torn east of 1645, and Sienkiewicz's Ogniem i mieczem opens with the Ukrainian rising of 1648. Open the 1640s on the StoryTerra map and explore its stories by place.
10 famous stories set in the 1640s
Live snapshot of the top 10 most popular catalogue items (2026-09-05). Click any card to open this entry on the live map.
Browse 13 books and 4 movies set in the 1640s (1640–1649).
Witchfinder General
England 1645. The cruel civil war between Royalists and Parliamentarians that is ravaging the country causes an era of chaos and legal arbitrariness that allows unscrupulous men to profit by exploiting the absurd…
The Return of the Musketeers
It's 1649: Mazarin hires the impoverished D'Artagnan to find the other musketeers: Cromwell has overthrown the English king so Mazarin fears revolt particularly from the popular Beaufort. Porthos bored with riches and…
Cyrano de Bergerac
France 1640. Cyrano the charismatic swordsman-poet with the absurd nose hopelessly loves the beauteous Roxane; she in turn confesses to Cyrano her love for the handsome but tongue-tied Christian. The chivalrous Cyrano…
Nightwatching
An extravagant exotic and moving look at Rembrandt's romantic and professional life and the controversy he created by the identification of a murderer in the painting The Night Watch.
A Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy
Written over three centuries ago by a Samurai warrior, the book has been hailed as a limitless source of psychological insight for businessmen-or anyone who relies on strategy and tactics for outwitting the competition.
Areopagitica
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1868 edition by Alex. Murray & Son, London.
The Oak Apple
1630 - Charles I; the Civil WarWhen civil war destroys the long years of peace in England, the clash between King and Parliament is echoed at Morland Place. Richard, the heir, brings home a Puritan bride, while his…
Ogniem i mieczem
Ogniem i mieczem, pierwsza z powieści tworzących Trylogię, przedstawia dzieje Polski w dobie powstania Chmielnickiego (1648-1654). Pisarz, starając się wzbudzić w czytelnikach patriotyczne uczucia, nadał powieści cechy…
The Slave
Four years after the Chmielnicki massacres of the seventeenth century, Jacob, a slave and cowherd in a Polish village high in the mountains, falls in love with Wanda, his master's daughter. Even after he is ransomed, he…
The Island of the Day Before
After a violent storm in the South Pacific in the year 1643, Roberto della Griva finds himself shipwrecked-on a ship. Swept from the Amaryllis, he has managed to pull himself aboard the Daphne, anchored in the bay of a…
The 10 stories above are just a sample of the 17 in the catalogue for this entry. For the live 1640–1649 catalogue, use the button above — or browse the whole 17th century. On the live map you can also filter by the exact time the stories take place — any year, decade or century, from BCE to the future.
Relevant picks from this decade
Dutch Golden Age Amsterdam: 1600–1700 — A booming 17th-century trade hub full of artists, merchants, and explorers — inspiring many stories and paintings, from Vermeer's studios to tulip… Explore Dutch Golden Age Amsterdam: 1600–1700
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Edo Japan: 1603–1868 — Step back to Edo Japan, where samurai culture, ukiyo-e art, and strict social orders shaped a unique society rich in stories of honor and conflict.… Explore Edo Japan: 1603–1868
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Historic Edinburgh: 1600–1900 — From medieval Old Town and the imposing castle to the intellectual vibrancy of the Scottish Enlightenment and beyond — a center of politics,… Explore Historic Edinburgh: 1600–1900
Mughal India: 1526–1857 — Step into the opulent world of the Mughal Empire, which ruled the Indian subcontinent for centuries — a golden age of art, architecture, and culture… Explore Mughal India: 1526–1857
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1630s · 17th century · Time hub · All places · 1650s