The English Civil War is one of the most hotly contested areas of English History and John Miller is one of the experts on the period. Amid dramatic accounts of the key battles and confrontations, Miller explores what triggered the initial conflict between crown and parliament and how this was played out in England, Scotland and Ireland in the lead-up to war. As the war developed, personalities and innovations on the battlefield became increasingly important, culminating in the rise of Oliver Cromwell and the radical New Model Army. The wars changed the political, social, religious and intellectual landscape of the country for ever. Using a lifetime's knowledge and study on the period, John Miller brings this extraordinary turning point in British history to life.

A Brief History of the English Civil Wars

A brilliant appraisal of the Civil War and its long-term consequences, by an acclaimed historian. The political upheaval of the mid-seventeenth century has no parallel in English history. Other events have changed the occupancy and the powers of the throne, but the conflict of 1640-60 was more dramatic: the monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished, to be replaced by a republic and military rule. In this wonderfully readable account, Blair Worden explores the events of this period and their origins - the war between King and Parliament, the execution of Charles I, Cromwell's rule and the Restoration - while aiming to reveal something more elusive: the motivations of contemporaries on both sides and the concerns of later generations.

The English Civil Wars

This volume in the Problems in Focus series provides a concise summary of arguments about the causes of the English Civil War, and of the present state of historical research in this field. The nine contributors, experts in the subject they write on, cover such issues as: whether there was any economic clash between the two sides in the Civil War; whether they represented two conflicting cultures; whether the issues involved were European or purely English; whether there is any connection between Puritanism and revolution; and what was involved in the fear of Popery. In many areas this integrated collection of original studies breaks new ground, and brings the student up to date with current research, much of it published here for the first time. It concentrates on central themes of debate for which clarification is most useful to students. Though primarily intended for historians, its treatment of social and cultural factors makes it useful to interdisciplinary studies and to students of literature and society in the seventeenth century.

The Origins of the English Civil War

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Going to the Wars

With hindsight, the victory of Parliamentarian forces over the Royalists in the English Civil War may seem inevitable but this outcome was not a foregone conclusion. Timothy Venning explores many of the turning points and discusses how they might so easily have played out differently. What if, for example, Charles I had capitalized on his victory at Edgehill by attacking London without delay? Could this have ended the war in 1642? His actual advance on the capital in 1643 failed but came close to causing a Parliamentarian collapse how could it have succeeded and what then? Among the many other scenarios, full consideration is given to the role of Ireland (what if Papal meddling had not prevented Irish Catholics aiding Charles?) and Scotland (how might Montrose's Scottish loyalists have neutralized the Covenanters?). The author analyses the plausible possibilities in each thread, throwing light on the role of chance and underlying factors in the real outcome, as well as what might easily have been different.

The English Civil War

Drawing on exciting new sources, including letters, memoirs, ballads, plays, illustrations, and even cookbooks, Purkiss creates a rich and nuanced portrait of the turbulent era of the English Civil War which rejected divine right monarchy in favor of parliamentary rule.

The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political upheavals which spanned the entirety of the British Isles in the mid-seventeenth century. It was fought on a wide range of religious, political and racial issues, and succeeded in dividing the traditional loyalties of class, friendship and family ties within all four kingdoms. This unprecedented period of disruption resulted in far-reaching political revolution, the re-evaluation of political representation and social structure, and ultimately laid the foundations of the British constitution we know today. Martyn Bennett introduces the reader to the main debates surrounding the Civil War, from the St Giles riots in Edinburgh in 1637 to the restoration of Charles II on 8 May 1660, and includes biographies of the key personalities, key events, battles, military institutions of the conflict, and covers the run-up to the conflict, the wars themselves and its aftermath. This comprehensive A-Z companion to the history of the civil wars provides all the facts and figures that an armchair general would ever need.

Sir, God hath taken away your eldest son by a cannon shot. It brake his leg. We were necessitated to have it cut off, whereof he died.' In one of the most famous and moving letters of the Civil War, Oliver Cromwell told his brother-in-law that on 2 July 1644 Parliament had won an emphatic victory over a Royalist army commanded by King Charles I's nephew, Prince Rupert, on rolling moorland west of York. But that battle, Marston Moor, had also slain his own nephew, the recipient's firstborn. In this vividly narrated history of the deadly conflict that engulfed the nation during the 1640s, Peter Gaunt shows that, with the exception of World War I, the death-rate was higher than any other contest in which Britain has participated. Numerous towns and villages were garrisoned, attacked, damaged or wrecked. The landscape was profoundly altered. Yet amidst all the blood and killing, the fighting was also a catalyst for profound social change and innovation. Charting major battles, raids and engagements, the author uses rich contemporary accounts to explore the life-changing experience of war for those involved, whether musketeers at Cheriton, dragoons at Edgehill or Cromwell's disciplined Ironsides at Naseby (1645).

The period 1642-1651, one of the most turbulent in the history of mainland Britian, saw the country torn by civil wars. Focusing on the English and Welsh wars this book examines the causes, course and consequences of the conflicts. While offering a concise military account that assesses the wars in their national, regional and local contexts, Dr Gaunt provides a full appraisal of the severity of the wars and the true extent of the impact on civilian life, highlighting areas of continued historical debate. The personal experiences and biographies of key players are also included in this comprehensive and fascinating account.

The English Civil Wars 1642–1651

This book charts the relationship between literary texts and their historical context from 1640-1660. Essays in the volume focus on issues of ideology and genre; the politics of the masque; lyric and devotional poetry; women's writings; attitudes towards Ireland; colonialism; madness and division; and individual writers such as Hobbes, Marvell and Milton.

Literature and the English Civil War

A lavishly presented atlas of the English Civil Wars, the conflicts that ravaged the countryside of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland from 1639 to 1651. The English Civil Wars (1638–51) comprised the deadliest conflict in history fought on British soil, in which brother took up arms against brother, father fought against son, and towns, cities, and villages fortified themselves in the cause of Royalists or Parliamentarians. Although much historical attention has focused on the events in England and the key battles of Edgehill, Marston Moor, and Naseby, this was a conflict that engulfed the entirety of the Three Kingdoms and led to a trial and execution that profoundly shaped the British monarchy and Parliament. This beautifully presented atlas tells the whole story of Britain's revolutionary civil war, from the earliest skirmishes of the Bishops Wars in 1639–40 through to 1651, when Charles II's defeat at Worcester crushed the Royalist cause, leading to two decades of Stuart exile. Each map is supported by a detailed text, providing a complete explanation of the complex and fluctuating conflict that ultimately meant that the Crown would always be answerable to Parliament.

A day-by-day account of the English Civil War, which recounts each day's developments as they happened and includes examinations of major battles and important personalities.

The English Civil War Day by Day

Brereton's journal is a book made up of letters from the English Civil War (1642-1646). A Parliamentary general, Sir William was engaged in the siege of Dudley Castle, Bridgnorth Castle and the fortifield cathedral close at Lichfield. The Letter Book contains copies of letters sent and received by Brereton. There are details of his victory against the last Royalist army in the field, his various sieges, his constant need for money and more troops, and the movements of King Charles I prior to his surrender to the Scots. The Introduction details a history of the civil war, of the battles and skirmishes, up to the writing of the Letter Book. A conclusion relates what happened after: the end of the war, the trial and execution of Charles I, the Interregnum and finally the Restoration and Brereton's retirement from public life.

A Journal of the English Civil War

With hindsight, the victory of Parliamentarian forces over the Royalists in the English Civil War may seem inevitable but this outcome was not a foregone conclusion. Timothy Venning explores many of the turning points and discusses how they might so easily have played out differently. ?What if, for example, Charles I had capitalized on his victory at Edgehill by attacking London without delay? Could this have ended the war in 1642? His actual advance on the capital in 1643 failed but came close to causing a Parliamentarian collapse Ð how could it have succeeded and what then? Among the many other scenarios, full consideration is given to the role of Ireland (what if Papal meddling had not prevented Irish Catholics aiding Charles?) and Scotland (how might Montrose's Scottish loyalists have neutralized the Covenanters?). The author analyses the plausible possibilities in each thread, throwing light on the role of chance and underlying factors in the real outcome, as well as what might easily have been different.

A king beheaded. A monarchy abolished. And a commoner leading a republic by military rule set in their place. The wars that tore through the country in the mid-seventeenth century – splitting government, communities and families alike – were a true watershed in English history. But how, with Queen Elizabeth I’s Golden Age still in living memory, did such a situation arise? Exploring the period’s political disputes, religious conflicts and military battles, Patrick Little scrutinizes the nature and practicalities of conducting a civil war on English soil, as well as the experiences and motivations of key factions and combatants. By assessing how the realities of life in England shaped the conflict –and were torn apart by it – this wonderfully readable Beginner’s Guide gets to the very heart of how a people came to kill their king.

As a woman, a foreigner and a Catholic, with influence over her husband, King Charles I, Henrietta Maria was viewed with deep suspicion by many of her subjects. In this book, Michelle White directly tackles issues of Henrietta's actual and perceived influence, and how it was portrayed in popular print by those sympathetic and hostile to her cause. Addressing key themes of patriarchy and sectarianism, she explores the reasons why Henrietta aroused such passions, and whether concerns about her role were justified. In so doing, she presents a vivid portrait of a strong willed woman who had a profound influence on the course of English history.

Henrietta Maria and the English Civil Wars

All but one of the essays were originally delivered as lectures at Eton College. Includes bibliographies.

The English Civil War and After, 1642-1658

This is the definitive military history of the Civil Wars, which swept the British Isles from 1642 to 1649. The martial aspects of the wars are covered in detail along with a comprehensive overview of the religious and political dimensions, which shaped the armies involved in the conflict. This excellent single volume history is the perfect introduction to the military history of this turbulent decade, which shaped the destiny of the British Isles. This book is part of the 'Military History From Primary Sources' series, a new military history range compiled and edited by Emmy Award winning author and historian Bob Carruthers. The series draws on primary sources and contemporary documents to provide a new insight into the true nature of warfare. The series consultant is David Mcwhinnie, creator of the award winning PBS series 'Battlefield'.REVIEWS a succinct and profusely illustrated history From its beginning in 1642 to its conclusion in 1649, the detailed descriptions of the diverse fighting forces and alliances, the battles, the trial and execution of the king, and the ascendancy of Cromwell, The English Civil Wars provides and excellent and particularly well written overview, making it highly recommended reading for student of the 17th Century British History, and a valued addition to academic library European Military History reference collections. The Midwest Book Review"

The English Civil Wars 1642-1649

The English Civil War (1642-53) is one of the most crucial periods in British history. Martyn Bennett introduces the reader to the main debates surrounding the Civil War which continue to be debated by historians. He considers the repercussions both on government and religion, of Parliament's failure to secure stability after the Royalist defeat in 1646, and argues that this opened the way for far more radical reforms. The book deals with the military campaigns in all four nations, placing the war in its full British and Irish context.

The English Civil War 1640-1649

Remembering the English Civil Wars is the first collection of essays to explore how the bloody struggle which took place between the supporters of king and parliament during the 1640s was viewed in retrospect. The English Civil Wars were perhaps the most calamitous series of conflicts in the country’s recorded history. Over the past twenty years there has been a surge of interest in the way that the Civil Wars were remembered by the men, women and children who were unfortunate enough to live through them. The essays brought together in this book not only provide a clear and accessible introduction to this fast-developing field of study but also bring together the voices of a diverse group of scholars who are working at its cutting edge. Through the investigation of a broad, but closely interrelated, range of topics – including elite, popular, urban and local memories of the wars, as well as the relationships between civil war memory and ceremony, material culture and concepts of space and place – the essays contained in this volume demonstrate, with exceptional vividness and clarity, how the people of England and Wales continued to be haunted by the ghosts of the mid-century conflict throughout the decades which followed. The book will be essential reading for all students of the English Civil Wars, Stuart Britain and the history of memory.

Remembering the English Civil Wars

John Adamson provides a new synthesis of current research on the political crisis that engulfed England in the 1640s. Drawing on new archival findings and challenging current orthodoxies, these essays by leading historians offer a variety of original perspectives, locating English events firmly within a 'three kingdoms' context.

This book brings together twelve of the most influential articles on the English Civil War, including coverage of all the major debates on this key period in British history.

Have you ever found yourself watching a show or reading a novel and wondering what life was really like in the Civil War? Did the war really split families? Was Charles I just too stupid to be King? Did Cromwell really hate the monarchy and did Parliament actually ban Christmas? In this book you’ll find fast and fun answers to all your secret questions about this remarkable period of British history. Find out about people’s lives and how the Civil War affected them. Learn about the role of women and if they merely stayed at home and suffered, and if Cromwell really was always miserable. James Hobson brings to life the tumultuous and unprecedented period of history that is known as the Civil War. An unfussy yet accurate history, each chapter presents a controversy in itself and sets about dispelling commonly held myths about the Civil War.

This book is also available as part of the Men-at-Arms series as no. 14: 'The English Civil War Armies'. Beginning with the outbreak of the first Civil War in 1642 and ending with the Restoration of King Charles in 1660, this book studies the Cavalier and Parliamentarian armies who fought in these conflicts. In 30 years of bloodshed, counties were divided and families were split, as men and women followed their individual allegiances.

The English Civil War (1642-1651) was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians (Roundheads) and Royalists (Cavaliers). The first (1642-46) and second (1648-49) civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war (1649-51) saw fighting between supporters of King Charles II and supporters of the Rump Parliament. The Civil War ended with the Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651. The Civil War led to the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son, Charles II, and replacement of English monarchy with first, the Commonwealth of England (1649-53), and then with a Protectorate (1653-59), under Oliver Cromwell's personal rule. The monopoly of the Church of England on Christian worship in England ended with the victors consolidating the established Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. Constitutionally, the wars established the precedent that an English monarch cannot govern without Parliament's consent, although this concept was legally established only with the Glorious Revolution later in the century. This compilation is specially formatted with a Table of Contents linking to the main documents of the English Civil War, including the Leveller Petition and An Agreement of the Free People of England.

Documents from the English Civil War

Under the influence of "revisionist" writings the history of the English Civil War has splintered. This is not to say that there was once consensus on how the revolution should be characterized or interpreted, but revisionism has now carved out different aspects of historical experience--such as economic, social, political, religious, and cultural--that once tended to be bound together. This book does not attempt to turn back the clock, nor to recreate what was undoubtedly in part a false coherence. But it does in fact suggest ways in which some of the starker discontinuities should be challenged. The editors maintain that reconnections should be made regarding the causes, course, and impact of the Civil War, and the pieces in this book aim to do so without without losing sight of the complexity of the issues at hand. Moreover, these articles afford some of the most stimulating writing on this topic to appear in the last twenty-five years.

In this innovative study, Diane Purkiss illuminates the role of gender in the English Civil War by focusing on ideas of masculinity, rather than on the role of women, which has hitherto received more attention. Historians have tended to emphasise a model of human action in the Civil War based on the idea of the human self as rational animal. Purkiss reveals the irrational ideological forces governing the way seventeenth-century writers understood the state, the monarchy, the battlefield and the epic hero in relation to contested contemporary ideas of masculinity. She analyses the writings of Marvell, Waller, Herrick and the Caroline elegists, as well as in newsbooks and pamphlets, and pays particular attention to Milton's complex responses to the dilemmas of male identity. This study will appeal to scholars of seventeenth-century literature as well as those working in intellectual history and the history of gender.

Literature, Gender and Politics During the English Civil War

Scholars tend to specialize in either urban or agrarian history, and the whole picture of an era or event is never entirely pieced together. Ten essays seek to close the gap by considering the impact of the 17th-century civil war on both the towns and the countryside, emphasizing both the divergence and similarity of experiences. Distributed in the US by St. Martin's Press. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Town and Countryside in the English Revolution

Much ink has been spent on accounts of the English Civil Wars of the mid-seventeenth century, yet royalism has been largely neglected. This 2007 volume of essays by leading scholars in the field seeks to fill that significant gap in our understanding by focusing on those who took up arms for the king. The royalists described were not reactionary, absolutist extremists but pragmatic, moderate men who were not so different in temperament or background from the vast majority of those who decided to side with, or were forced by circumstances to side with, Parliament and its army. The essays force us to think beyond the simplistic dichotomy between royalist 'absolutists' and 'constitutionalists' and suggest instead that allegiances were much more fluid and contingent than has hitherto been recognized. This is a major contribution to the political and intellectual history of the Civil Wars and of early modern England more generally.

Royalists and Royalism during the English Civil Wars

On 23 September 1642 Prince Rupert's cavalry triumphed outside Worcester in the first major clash on the English Civil War. Almost precisely nine years later, on 3 September 1651, that war was won by Oliver Cromwell's famous Ironsides outside the same city and in part upon the same ground. Stuart Reid provides a detailed yet readable new military history – the first to be published for over twenty years – of the three conflicts between 1642 and 1651 known as the English Civil War. Prince Rupert, Oliver Cromwell Patrick Ruthven, Alexander Leslie and Sir Thomas Fairfax all play their parts in this fast-moving narrative. At the heart of the book are fresh interpretations, not only of the key battles such as Marston Moor in 1644, but also of the technical and economic factors which helped shape strategy and tactics, making this a truly comprehensive study of one of the most famous conflicts in British history. This book is a must for all historians and enthusiasts of seventeenth-century English history.

All the King's Armies

The causes of the English civil war have provoked fierce controversy amongst historians ever since the seventeenth century. The period is still one which matters to people, one over which they take sides. Such an enormous amount of work is published on the civil war that it is impossible for non-specialists to keep up with debates, hence the value of this synthesis. This book is intended as a guide and introduction to this massive outpouring of scholarship, including discussion of revisionist and post-revisionist work. It is a vigorous overview which seeks to focus sharply on original recent approaches. It examines English developments in a broader British and European context, and explores current debates on the nature of the political process and the divisions over religion and politics. Finally, it analyses controversial attempts to set the civil war in a social context, and to connect social change to broad cultural cleavages in England.

The Causes of the English Civil War

The Impact of the English Civil War on the Economy of London, 1642-50 examines every sector of London's economy as it changed during the English Civil War. It also looks closely at the impact of war on the major pillars of the London economy, namely London's role in external and internal trade, and manufacturing in London. When the war broke out, London's economy was diverse and dynamic, closely connected through commercial networks with the rest of England and with Europe, Asia and North America. As such it was vulnerable to hostile acts by supporters of the king, both those at large in the country and those within the capital.

The Impact of the English Civil War on the Economy of London, 1642-50

The author of John Donne: The Reformed Soul describes the Cavaliers who were a group of poets who defended the king against the Protestant reformers during English Civil War's and inadvertently created an artistic movement.

Reprobates: The Cavaliers of the English Civil War

The sequence of civil wars that ripped England apart in the seventeenth century was the single most traumatic event in this country between the medieval Black Death and the two world wars. Indeed, it is likely that a greater percentage of the population were killed in the civil wars than in the First World War. This sense of overwhelming trauma gives this major new history its title: God’s Fury, England’s Fire. The name of a pamphlet written after the king’s surrender, it sums up the widespread feeling within England that the seemingly endless nightmare that had destroyed families, towns and livelihoods was ordained by a vengeful God – that the people of England had sinned and were now being punished. As with all civil wars, however, ‘God’s fury’ could support or destroy either side in the conflict. Was God angry at Charles I for failing to support the true, protestant, religion and refusing to work with Parliament? Or was God angry with those who had dared challenge His anointed Sovereign? Michael Braddick’s remarkable book gives the reader a vivid and enduring sense both of what it was like to live through events of uncontrollable violence and what really animated the different sides. The killing of Charles I and the declaration of a republic – events which even now seem in an English context utterly astounding – were by no means the only outcomes, and Braddick brilliantly describes the twists and turns that led to the most radical solutions of all to the country’s political implosion. He also describes very effectively the influence of events in Scotland, Ireland and the European mainland on the conflict in England. God’s Fury, England’s Fire allows readers to understand once more the events that have so fundamentally marked this country and which still resonate centuries after their bloody ending.

God's Fury, England's Fire

This important new book offers the first history of the Royalist armies and thier role in the Civil War for over a quater of a century. Divided into two sections the first part of the book describes and analyses the organisation, recruitment, training ,arms equipment, tactics and performance of the Royalist armies. The second part takes a look at some of the engagements and accidents of the Civil War and examines the relaity behind the legend by looking at actual cases in their proper contexts.

Cavaliers

The English Civil War is a subject of perennial interest. This book presents the 'essentials' of the conflict in the form of a readable chronological narrative, beginning with the causes of the war and ending with the execution of King Charles I. The author, who has been exploring battlefields for 50 years, describes the celebrated battles - including Edgehill, Marston Moor and Naseby - together with the major political events which characterized one of the most turbulent periods in English History. Contemporary documents and leading secondary sources have been used to produce a picture of those troubled times - years which revolutionised government and witnessed the first faltering steps of Parliamentarians towards the democratic form of government we know today. Students of the English Civil War will find this an invaluable source of reference, while the general reader will be encouraged to delve deeper into what is, undeniably, the most fascinating of historical subjects.

Did you ever hear the saying "there are two sides to every story?" The details of the same event can appear very different depending on the perspectives of the people involved. In this fresh take on history, you can read about the English Civil War from both the Royalist and Parliamentarian points of view.

The Split History of the English Civil War

Almost a quarter of a million lives were lost as King and Parliament battled for their religious and political ideals in the English Civil War. England was divided between Cavaliers and Roundheads engaged in bitter struggles from Preston to Lostwithiel, Pembroke to York. Armies were on the march, villages were decimated and great dynasties destroyed: fathers and sons, uncles and cousins were pitted against each other in defence of their loyalties. The civil war led to the execution of a king, the beginnings of sectarian division in Ireland, savage clan warfare in Scotland and the roots of English socialism. Tristram Hunt avoids adding to the many, mostly transitory interpretations of the civil war and instead offers a timeless narrative based on the first-hand accounts of those who witnessed these traumatic events. In doing so he brings out the voices of the civil war generation - those who lost sons, who witnessed massacres and who fought for an ideal. In this book we see their motivations, fears and misery as the horror of war overwhelmed them. From Cromwell's letters to the memoirs of a Roundhead wife the civil war era is brought to life in all its terrible and fascinating glory.

The English Civil War At First Hand

In 1642 an ordinance closed the theatres of England. Critics and historians have assumed that the edict was to be firm and inviolate. Susan Wiseman challenges this assumption and argues that the period 1640 to 1660 was not a gap in the production and performance of drama nor a blank space between 'Renaissance drama' and the 'Restoration stage'. Rather, throughout the period, writers focused instead on a range of dramas with political perspectives, from republican to royalist. This group included the short pamphlet dramas of the 1640s and the texts produced by the writers of the 1650s, such as William Davenant, Margaret Cavendish and James Shirley. In analysing the diverse forms of dramatic production of the 1640s and 1650s, Wiseman reveals the political and generic diversity produced by the changes in dramatic production, and offers insights into the theatre of the Civil War.

Drama and Politics in the English Civil War

First published in 1961, these masterly studies of three major English Civil War clashes at Marston Moor, Naseby and Preston provide detailed background, painstakingly recounted military developments, and pays equal attention to the political and religious concerns of the time. “An excellent book...It most skillfully indicates all the essential connections between the Civil War’s political, social, and military aspects.”—C.V. Wedgwood, Daily Telegraph “Excellent use of eye-witness material.”—The Times Educational Supplement

Battles of the English Civil War

A history of the English Civil War explores the violent battle for power between the monarchy and Parliament from the perspectives of those involved and examines the repercussions of the struggle that ripped apart seventeenth-century England and transformed the face of modern-day Britain.

The origins, nature and consequence of the English Civil War are subjects of continuing historical controversy. The English Civil War and Revolution is a wide ranging, accessible sourcebook covering the principal aspects of the mid-seventeenth century crisis. It presents a comprehensive guide to the historiographical debates involved. Drawing on a variety of source material such as official records, private correspondence, diaries, minutes of debates and petitions, this text provides: * contextual introductions to documents * a comprehensive glossary of seventeenth century terms * a chronology of events for reference * illustrations, including contemporary woodcuts. While familiarising students with some of the main sources drawn upon by historians working in the field, The English Civil War and Revolution contains many extracts from unpublished, manuscript sources. By taking sources from all levels of society and grouping them thematically, this book offers a number of viewpoints on the civil war and revolution, thus aiding understanding of this complex period.

The English Civil War and Revolution

The third volume of Peter Ackroyd's magisterial six-part History of England, taking readers from the accession of the first Stuart king, James I, to the overthrow of his grandson, James II. In Civil War, Peter Ackroyd continues his dazzling account of England's history, beginning with the progress south of the Scottish king, James VI, who on the death of Elizabeth I became the first Stuart king of England, and ends with the deposition and flight into exile of his grandson, James II. The Stuart dynasty brought together the two nations of England and Scotland into one realm, albeit a realm still marked by political divisions that echo to this day. More importantly, perhaps, the Stuart era was marked by the cruel depredations of civil war, and the killing of a king. Ackroyd paints a vivid portrait of James I and his heirs. Shrewd and opinionated, the new King was eloquent on matters as diverse as theology, witchcraft and the abuses of tobacco, but his attitude to the English parliament sowed the seeds of the division that would split the country in the reign of his hapless heir, Charles I. Ackroyd offers a brilliant - warts and all - portrayal of Charles's nemesis Oliver Cromwell, Parliament's great military leader and England's only dictator, who began his career as a political liberator but ended it as much of a despot as 'that man of blood', the king he executed. England's turbulent seventeenth century is vividly laid out before us, but so too is the cultural and social life of the period, notable for its extraordinarily rich literature, including Shakespeare's late masterpieces, Jacobean tragedy, the poetry of John Donne and Milton and Thomas Hobbes' great philosophical treatise, Leviathan. Civil War also gives us a very real sense of the lives of ordinary English men and women, lived out against a backdrop of constant disruption and uncertainty.

Civil War

A historian of the English Civil Wars shares a fascinating study of the seventeenth century New Model Army, examining its formation, tactics, and significance. The New Model Army was one of the best-known and most effective armies ever raised in England. Oliver Cromwell was both its greatest battlefield commander and the political leader whose position depended on its support. In this meticulously researched and accessible new study, Keith Roberts describes how Cromwell's army was recruited, inspired, organized, trained, and equipped. He also sets its strategic and tactical operation in the context of the theory and practice of warfare in seventeenth-century Europe.

Cromwell's War Machine

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the military history of the English Civil War and its associated conflicts in Ireland and Scotland. Historians are increasingly paying attention to the 'actualities of war' (to use Sir Basil Liddell Hart's phrase) during these conflicts, and this has given rise to an accompanying recognition that the better-studied political, social and religious developments of the mid-seventeenth century cannot be divorced from military events. Thus, this volume this is a timely evaluation of a selection of distinct, yet interrelated, military aspects of the Civil War. It commences with two studies that re-evaluate our understanding of two key battles. Peter Gaunt sheds new light on the little-studied (but vitally important) battle of Middlewich on 13 March 1643, which kick-started the Civil War (political, as well as military) career of Sir William Brereton and played a key role in establishing parliamentary dominance in the strategically significant county of Cheshire. Malcolm Wanklyn reappraises the bridge-building exercise over the rivers Teme and Severn at Powick that made Cromwell's tactical plan for fighting the Scots at Worcester on 3 September 1651 possible. The volume then moves on to consider ideology in practice. Many who formed the nucleus of royalist and parliamentarian armies had fought in the English regiments in the service of the Dutch Republic prior to the Civil War. Ismini Pells investigates how these men looked back to their shared experiences on the Continent to establish networks and working relationships both with those in their own armies and the armies of their adversaries. Tim Jenkins provides a reminder that military outcomes were often dependent on civilian actions. Focusing on one of Shrewsbury's leading inhabitants, William Rowley, Jenkins explores the role of religious ideology in the corporate politics and Civil War allegiances of a town that remained under royalist occupation from September 1642 to February 1645. By comparing the instructions in seventeenth century military manuals with the evidence from conflict archaeology, Warwick Louth demonstrates how his groundbreaking methodology can improve our investigation and interpretation of the events that took place on the Civil War battlefields of Britain. Finally, this volume considers the care and welfare provided for the Civil War's participants: nowhere are the actualities of war more apparent than in a conflict's casualties. Stephen Rutherford assesses the battlefield surgery of both sides during the war. He considers the types of wounds that were inflicted and highlights the biomedical significance of the treatments available, many of which have remained unchanged until the twentieth century and even to the present day. Eric Gruber von Arni examines royalist hospital provision during the Civil War, evaluating the attitudes and achievements that accompanied it and contrasting these with the attitudes and achievements of parliamentary medical care. Christopher Scott concludes with a short but lively chapter offering a new explanation for Sir William Waller's defeat at Roundway Down on 13 July 1643, which rests on the destitute condition of the horses in Waller's cavalry

New Approaches to the Military History of the English Civil War

A Military History of the English Civil War examines how the civil war was won, who fought for whom, and why it ended. With a straightforward style and clear chronology that enables readers to make their own judgements and pursue their own interests further, this original history provides a thorough critique of the reasons that have been cited for Parliament's victory and the King's defeat in 1645/46. It discusses the strategic options of the Parliamentary and Royalist commanders and councils of war and analyses the decisions they made, arguing that the King’s faulty command structure was more responsible for his defeat than Sir Thomas Fairfax's strategic flair. It also argues that the way that resources were used, rather than the resources themselves, explain why the war ended when it did.

A Military History of the English Civil War

In this collection of essays, a range of established and early-career scholars explore a variety of different perspectives on Oliver Cromwell's involvement with Ireland, in particular his military campaign of 1649-1650. In England and Wales Cromwell is regarded as a figure of national importance; in Ireland his reputation remains highly controversial. The essays gathered together here provide a fresh take on his Irish campaign, reassessing the backdrop and context of the prevailing siege warfare strategy and offering new insights into other major players such as Henry Ireton and the Marquis of Ormond. Other topics include, but are not limited to, the Cromwellian land settlement, deportation of prisoners and popular memory of Cromwell in Ireland. CONTRIBUTORS: Martyn Bennett, Heidi J. Coburn, Sarah Covington, John Cunningham, Eamon Darcy, David Farr, Padraig Lenihan, Alan Marshall, Nick Poyntz, Tom Reilly, James Scott Wheeler

Cromwell and Ireland

"A fast-paced, often riveting account of the military and political events leading up to the Declaration of Independence and those that followed during the war ... Brands does his readers a service by reminding them that division, as much as unity, is central to the founding of our nation."—The Washington Post From best-selling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands comes a gripping, page-turning narrative of the American Revolution that shows it to be more than a fight against the British: it was also a violent battle among neighbors forced to choose sides, Loyalist or Patriot. What causes people to forsake their country and take arms against it? What prompts their neighbors, hardly distinguishable in station or success, to defend that country against the rebels? That is the question H. W. Brands answers in his powerful new history of the American Revolution. George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were the unlikeliest of rebels. Washington in the 1770s stood at the apex of Virginia society. Franklin was more successful still, having risen from humble origins to world fame. John Adams might have seemed a more obvious candidate for rebellion, being of cantankerous temperament. Even so, he revered the law. Yet all three men became rebels against the British Empire that fostered their success. Others in the same circle of family and friends chose differently. William Franklin might have been expected to join his father, Benjamin, in rebellion but remained loyal to the British. So did Thomas Hutchinson, a royal governor and friend of the Franklins, and Joseph Galloway, an early challenger to the Crown. They soon heard themselves denounced as traitors--for not having betrayed the country where they grew up. Native Americans and the enslaved were also forced to choose sides as civil war broke out around them. After the Revolution, the Patriots were cast as heroes and founding fathers while the Loyalists were relegated to bit parts best forgotten. Our First Civil War reminds us that before America could win its revolution against Britain, the Patriots had to win a bitter civil war against family, neighbors, and friends.

Our First Civil War

This controversial study of Cromwell's notorious Irish campaign is published on the 350th anniversary of Cromwell's death. The author's unique opinions are shaped by his home town of Drogheda, the site of one of Cromwell's most notorious alleged massacres. Tom Reilly says: As author of this book, I feel that many historians in Ireland are not ready yet for 'an honourable' Cromwell - nor indeed are the people of Ireland. I thought that I would change the history books and public opinion about this much maligned historical figure by publishing the truth about Cromwell's Irish campaign. The reaction - among the under forties on the whole - was good, but among historians and the over forties it was bad. They can't seem to accept that an amateur could discover such a fundamental flaw in Irish history ie that neither Cromwell or his men ever engaged in the killing of any unarmed civilians throughout his entire nine month campaign. The facts are there for all to see. But God bless Ireland the past is still the present here and we MUST have our English hate figures - despite the truth. How sad is that?

Cromwell

On the 350th anniversary of his death, Oliver Cromwell continues to bestride the stage of Irish history like a colossus.

God's Executioner

'I am doing your Majesty some service here, whilst I am preparing the story of your sufferings; that posterity may know by whose default the nation was even overwhelmed with calamities, and by whose virtue it was redeemed.' Clarendon's massive History has since its first publication in 1702-4 dominated our images of the English Civil War. Written by a man who for over a quarter of a century was one of the closest advisers to Charles I and Charles II, it contains a remarkably frank account of the inadequacies of royalist policy-making as well as an astute analysis of the principles and practice of government. Clarendon chronicles in absorbing detail the factions and intrigues, the rise of Cromwell and the death of Charles I, the bloody battles and the eventual Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 after the Interregnum. He brings to life the key players in a series of brilliant character portraits, and his account is admired as much for its literary quality as its historical value. This new selection conveys a strong sense of the narrative, and contains passages from Clarendon's autobiography, The Life, including the important description of the intellectual coterie at Great Tew in the 1630s. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The History of the Rebellion: A new selection

1666 was a watershed year for England. An outbreak of the Great Plague, the eruption of the second Dutch War, and the devastating Great Fire of London all struck the country in rapid succession and with devastating repercussions. Shedding light on these dramatic events and their context, historian Rebecca Rideal reveals an unprecedented period of terror and triumph. Based in original archival research drawing on little-known sources, 1666 opens with the fiery destruction of London before taking readers on a thrilling journey through a crucial turning point in English history as seen through the eyes of an extraordinary cast of historical characters. While the central events of this significant year were ones of devastation and defeat, 1666 also offers a glimpse of the incredible scientific and artistic progress being made at that time, from Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity to the establishment of The London Gazette. It was in this year that John Milton completed Paradise Lost, Frances Stewart posed for the iconic image of Britannia, and a young architect named Christopher Wren proposed a plan for a new London—a stone phoenix to rise from the charred ashes of the old city. With flair and style, 1666 exposes readers to a city and a country on the cusp of modernity and a series of events that altered the course of history.

1666: Plague, War, and Hellfire

Following on from the success of the first book in this series on the English Civil war, Naseby, here is the story of Marston Moor, arguably the most famous battle in the four year conflict. In this exciting analysis of the battle the Author has captured the atmosphere and made it possible to get the most out of the experience. Marston Moor was an extremely bitter and costly battle and a defeat for the Royalist cause that had major implications for King Charles I. One result was that the key city of York was lost thereby seriously weakening the King's grip on the North.

Marston Moor

The English Civil War has become a frequent point of reference in contemporary British political debate. A bitter and bloody series of conflicts, it shook the very foundations of seventeenth-century Britain. This book is the first attempt to portray the visual legacy of this period, as passed down, revisited, and periodically reworked over two and a half centuries of subsequent English history. Highly regarded art historian Stephen Bann deftly interprets the mass of visual evidence accessible today, from ornate tombs and statues to surviving sites of vandalism and iconoclasm, public signage, and historical paintings of human subjects, events, and places. Through these important scenes and sometimes barely perceptible traces, Bann shows how the British view of the War has been influenced and transformed by visual imagery.

Scenes and Traces of the English Civil War

The first dedicated study of the practice of changing sides during the English Civil Wars. Reveals how side-changing shaped the course of the English Revolution, even contributing to the regicide itself, and remained an important political legacy to the English speaking peoples thereafter.

Turncoats and Renegadoes

English Civil War In 1642, King Charles I and the elected Parliament of England went to war over the future of the Stuart kingdom. Over the next nine years three Civil Wars would be fought, devastating the populations of England, Scotland and Ireland and claiming a death toll of an estimated 800,000 people, including King Charles I himself. Inside you will read about... - Reasons to go to War - The First English Civil War: Choose Your Side - The First English Civil War: The War Begins - The First English Civil War: The War Spreads - The First English Civil War: A New Model Army - The Second Civil War - The Third Civil War With the authority of the monarchy, the freedom of Parliament and the power of religion at stake, the English Civil Wars decided the future of the Great Britain and influenced the future of politics around the world.

English Civil War

Radical Parliamentarians offers a new account of some of the most important and pivotal events of the English Civil War of the 1640s, enhancing our understanding of the dramatic events of this period and shedding light on the long-term political and religious consequences of the conflict.

Radical Parliamentarians and the English Civil War

In this compelling history of the violent struggle between the monarchy and Parliament that tore apart seventeenth-century England, a rising star among British historians sheds new light on the people who fought and died through those tumultuous years. Drawing on exciting new sources, including letters, memoirs, ballads, plays, illustrations, and even cookbooks, Diane Purkiss creates a rich and nuanced portrait of this turbulent era. The English Civil War's dramatic consequences-rejecting the divine right monarchy in favor of parliamentary rule-continue to influence our lives, and in this colorful narrative, Purkiss vividly brings to life the history that changed the course of Western government.

Intro -- Contents -- Plates -- Maps and Battle Plans -- Preface -- Glossary -- The Generals -- The First Campaign of the English Civil War -- Over by Winter? Edgehill and Turnham Green -- Taking Stock, November 1642-April 1643 -- Parliament's Lost Opportunities, April-July 1643 -- The King on the Offensive -- Odds Even -- Great Expectations -- The Marston Moor Campaign -- The Generals in Jeopardy -- The March to Newbury -- The Second and Third Battles of Newbury -- The Reckoning -- Fairfax, Rupert and the Battle of Naseby -- Fairfax and Goring -- Warfare in Scotland and Ireland 1642-1648 -- The Second English Civil War -- The British Wars 1649-1652 -- The British Wars 1650-1651 -- Generals -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

The Warrior Generals

The military organization of nation states and their employment of armies are central aspects of early modern European history. The seventeenth century was particularly a period of transformation that witnessed drastic change in armies’ preparation for and execution of military campaigns. To date, historians have tended to overlook military development as it occurred in the British Isles. Yet Britain offers the historian an interesting subject for the examination of first, how emerging ideas of military organization, doctrine, and strategy were transmitted from the European continent; and second, how British soldiers demonstrated their familiarity with contemporary military practice through the conduct of campaigns. The evidence of military publications within Britain, as well as the experience of British soldiers overseas, indicates that English and Scottish soldiers grappled with the important tenets of the continental military revolution. The campaign strategies employed by British military commanders during the Second Bishops’ War of 1640 and the English Civil War of 1642-1646 were undoubtedly complex and reflective of the confused political conditions of the period. Nonetheless, British soldiers attempted to fight and to win using a contemporary, thoroughly European understanding of warfare.

Civil Wars In Britain, 1640-1646: Military Revolution On Campaign

On August 18, 1648, with no relief from the siege in sight, the royalist garrison holding Colchester Castle surrendered and Oliver Cromwell's army firmly ended the rule of Charles I of England. To send a clear message to the fallen monarch, the rebels executed four of the senior officers captured at the castle. Yet still the king refused to accept he had lost the war. As France and other allies mobilized in support of Charles, a tribunal was hastily gathered and a death sentence was passed. On January 30, 1649, the King of England was executed. This is the account of the fifty-nine regicides, the men who signed Charles I's death warrant. Recounting a little-known corner of British history, Charles Spencer explores what happened when the Restoration arrived. From George Downing, the chief plotter, to Richard Ingoldsby, who claimed he was forced to sign his name by his cousin Oliver Cromwell, and from those who returned to the monarchist cause and betrayed their fellow regicides to those that fled the country in an attempt to escape their punishment, Spencer examines the long-lasting, far-reaching consequences not only for those who signed the warrant, but also for those who were present at the trial, and for England itself. A powerful tale of revenge from the dark heart of England's past, and a unique contribution to seventeenth-century history, Killers of the King tells the incredible story of the men who dared to assassinate a monarch.

Killers of the King

"This is a coordinated presentation of the economic basis of revolutionary change in 16th- and early 17th-century England, addressing a crucial but neglected phase of historical development. It traces a transformation in the agrarian economy and substantiates the decisive scale on which this took place, showing how the new forms of occupation and practice on the land related to seminal changes in the general dynamics of commercial activity. An integrated, self-regulating national market generated new imperatives, particularly a demand for a right of freedom of trade from arbitrary exactions and restraints. This took political force through the special status that rights of consent had acquired in England, based on the rise of sovereign representative law following the Break with Rome. These associations were reflected in a distinctive merchant-gentry alliance, seeking to establish freedom of trade and representative control of public finance, through Parliament. This produced a persistent challenge to royal prerogatives such as impositions from 1610 onwards. Parliamentary provision, especially legislation, came to be seen as essential to good government. These ambitions led to the first revolutionary measures of the Long Parliament in early 1641, establishing automatic parliaments and the normative force of freedom of trade"--

The Economic Causes of the English Civil War

In this reissue of the second edition of The Royalist War Effort, 1642-1646 Ronald Hutton places his vivid account of the Royalist War effort in modern historical context, bringing the reader up to date with recent developments in the study of the English Civil War. He analyzes the influences which affected his own interpretation of events, ensuring that The Royalist War Effort, 1642-1646 remains the most informative and compelling account of the Royalist experience in the English Civil War.

The Royalist War Effort

Politicians and Pamphleteers reveals the importance of print to the English political world of the Civil Wars and Interregnum period. It explores how print propaganda came to the fore during these years as public opinion became a factor of dramatically enhanced importance, fundamentally altering the nature of the political society during the mid seventeenth century.

Politicians and Pamphleteers

Recreate the action and drama of 17th Century warfare on your tabletop with The Pikeman's Lament. Start by creating your Officer – is he a natural leader raised from the ranks, the youngest son of a noble family, or an old veteran who has seen too many battles? As you campaign, your Officer will win honour and gain promotion, acquiring traits that may help lead his men to victory. Before each skirmish, your Officer must raise his Company from a wide range of unit options – should he lean towards hard-hitting heavy cavalry or favour solid, defensively minded infantry? Companies are typically formed from 6–8 units, each made up of either 6 or 12 figures, and quick, decisive, and dramatic games are the order of the day. With core mechanics based on Daniel Mersey's popular Lion Rampant rules, The Pikeman's Lament captures the military flavour of the 17th Century, and allows you to recreate skirmishes and raids from conflicts such as the Thirty Years' War, the English Civil Wars, and the Great Northern War.

The Pikeman’s Lament

Taking a fresh look at the Scottish involvement in the English Civil War, this fascinating take on a popular period of history focuses on how the Scots influenced the outcome of the first stage of the war, ending with the significant capture of Charles I. It follows one regiment in particular – Colonel Hugh Fraser’s dragoons – from its creation through its actions at Marston Moor, which cleared the way for and made possible the success of the Scottish cavalry and Cromwell's Ironsides. It is through the dragoons' success there, and ability to save the right wing, that they arguably won the battle and the Civil War in Northern England. Following the regiment to its return to Scotland, eventual dissolution and the suspicious poisoning of its founder, the picture is completed of what could be one of the most important components of the Civil War. Alastair McRae expertly weaves a new narrative to the rich tapestry of Civil War history and would make anyone think twice about the event. utilising thirsty years of well-thought-out research, McRae puts forward a controversial but powerful case for the primacy of the war in the north in the defeat of Charles I.

How the Scots Won the English

This volume is aimed at anyone with an interest in the English Civil War of 1642-1660. It is a thorough analysis of both Royalist and Parlimentarian armies, with chapters detailing the development of their uniforms, weapons and equipment, from the first hastily raised units at Edgehill to the professional armies of Naseby and Dunbar.

Cavalier Capital, the first detailed account of Oxford's role as "Royalist capital" to appear for almost three-quarters of a century, examines all aspects of Oxford's experience in the English Civil War. As well as the effects on the town and university, special emphasis is placed on the various aspects of the Royalist occupation, including its role as a major manufacturing center of munitions and armory. The King's court and the operation of Royalist government and administration are examined, as are the organization and life of the soldiers of the garrison. Leading personalities are described, as well as the military campaigns which were focused on Oxford during the war. The final siege leading to the fall of Oxford is also described. The book makes full use of both contemporary and modern accounts, and research, and is copiously illustrated with contemporary and modern illustrations.

Cavalier Capital

Between 1642 and 166o the various armies which fought the English Civil War carried literally hundreds of flags, the great majority of which have gone unrecorded. This study traces their development as the 'free-for-all' of the first year of the war settled into one of the most elegant and sophisticated military flag systems in Europe. Covering the armies of both the King and Parliament this book examines the majority of known flags as well as discussing what can be learnt from the all too few surviving examples.

Standards, Guidons and Colours of the English Civil War

A history of London during the English Civil Wars, including a guide to sites today.

Civil War London

"Fought on 18 September 1644 in mid-Wales, Montgomery was the largest engagement in the Principality during the First English Civil War of 1642 to 1646. In terms of numbers engaged, in its outcome and impact, it was also a particularly significant regional battle of the war. Notwithstanding its importance, historians have largely overlooked Montgomery. Consequently, it is rarely mentioned in studies of the mid-17th century British Civil Wars. Moreover, where attention has been accorded to the battle and the preceding campaign, both have often been sketched over or misinterpreted. To fully explain the course and context of events, The Battle of Montgomery, 1644: The English Civil War in the Welsh Borderlands therefore presents the most detailed reconstruction and interpretation of this important battle published to date"--Publisher's description.

The Battle of Montgomery, 1644

In August 1644, at the height of the First English Civil War, John Graham, the Marquis of Montrose, raised the standard of Royalist rebellion in Scotland. In a single year he won a string of remarkable victories with his army of Irish mercenaries and Highland clansmen. His victory at Auldearn, the centrepiece of his campaign, was won only after a day-long struggle and heavy casualties on both sides. This book details the remarkable sequence of victories at Tippermuir, Aberdeen, Inverlochy, Auldearn and Kilsyth that left Montrose briefly in the ascendant in Scotland. However, his decisive defeat and surrender at Philiphaugh finally crushed the Royalist cause in Scotland.

Auldearn 1645

The techniques of European warfare were transformed during the 15th and 16th centuries by the use of gunpowder and by substantial progress in the effectiveness and destructive power of artillery. The series of conflicts in the 1640s, known collectively as the English Civil War, was the first in the British Isles that reflected this new reality. Sieges that aimed at isolating and reducing fortified places became the dominant instrument for prosecuting the war and protective fortifications were vital, for both the besieged as well as the besieger. This title describes how both the Parliamentarians and the Royalists made use of new fortification techniques throughout the course of this conflict.

English Civil War Fortifications 1642–51

In the summer of 1642 the First Civil War between king and parliament had broken out in England. Initially both sides were confident of victory, but after the first campaigns ended in stalemate they began looking for allies. The meddling of the Stuart Kings with Scotland's religious traditions provoked the National Covenant, and later the Solemn League and Covenant. Yet many Scots continued to support the King, and after his execution, his exiled son.This fine text by Stuart Reid examines the Scots armies who fought in the English Civil Wars, and features numerous illustrations and photographs, including full page colour plates by Graham Turner.

Scots Armies of the English Civil Wars

This, the first ever Osprey campaign title to deal with the English Civil War (1642-1651), looks at the battle of Edgehill, the first major clash of the Wars. In 1642 both Royalists and Parliamentarians expected that one great contest of arms would see the crushing of their enemies. When their field armies blundered into contact on the evening of 22 October 1642, Prince Rupert urged King Charles to array his army on the great ridge of Edgehill and give battle. The next day, amidst abject cowardice and absolute courage, the tide of battle swept Rupert's cavalry to triumph, but saw victory snatched away as the Royalist infantry was hurled back by the defiant Parliamentarians. The chance for decisive victory was lost and the bloody civil war raged on.

Edgehill 1642

Osprey's study of the most famous battle of the Third English Civil War (1649-1651). Having already allied with his father, the Scots' acceptance of Charles II as king in 1649 caused deep suspicion in England. In July 1650, Oliver Cromwell led a powerful force across the Scottish border to remove the problem. For six weeks Cromwell waged a frustrating campaign against a Scots enemy that refused to meet him in battle. By the beginning of September Cromwell's army, poorly supplied, exhausted and ravaged by sickness, was apparently trapped at Dunbar by a powerful Scots army. On 3 September he won his greatest military victory just outside the town, but in this book Stuart Reid suggests that his triumph may in fact have begun as a breakout attempt.

Dunbar 1650

Throughout the 17th century large parts of Europe were depopulated during the wide-ranging and savage wars of religion and dynasty, involving all of the major powers. This was therefore a key period in the development of 'modern' infantry tactics, such as the use of pole-arms and muskets together hence the popular expression 'pike and shot'. These infantry tactics involved different national schools on thought and practice, and were tested bloodily in great battles. This title covers the Dutch-Spanish wars of independence, The Thirty Years' War and the English Civil Wars.

Pike and Shot Tactics 1590–1660

Osprey's examination of the British cavalry during the English Civil War (1642-1651). In March 1642, King Charles I, believing that Parliament had gone too far when it issued the Grand Remonstrace, moved to arrest John Pym and four other leaders. That summer Parliament, fearing military action, tried to seize control of the army by issuing orders for soldiers to report to Parliamentary, rather than royal, representatives. The King countered by ordering the bill ignored and raised his own army. Some turned out for the King, some for Parliament, and so the war started. This book examines how the cavalry soldiers of 1642 expected to fight the Civil Wars, and how experience changed their ideas.

Soldiers of the English Civil War (2)

This book tells how on 23 October 1642 the Royalist and Parliamentary Armies met at Edgehill for their first major engagement. The battle did not prove decisive and the stage was set for a prolonged and bloody civil war.

The English Civil War (1642-1651) was a pivotal series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists ("Cavaliers") largely over issues of governance and authority. This tumultuous period, which witnessed the temporary overthrow and execution of King Charles I, marked a significant chapter in British history. It not only fundamentally changed the relationship between the monarchy and Parliament, but also set the stage for the rise of the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell, and later, the Restoration of the monarchy. The war's legacy includes critical developments in constitutional government and a profound impact on the future of democracy in England, setting precedents that influenced political structures globally.