The Anglo-Scots Wars, 1513-1550 : A Military History

Rating:
Summary: A great book on a neglected topic
Review: Mr. Phillips has writen an excellent campaign history on a theater of conflict largely ignored. The two "bookend" battles of Flodden and Pinkie are often alluded to in histories of the British Isles during the 16th century. What this book does is place them in context of a prolonged struggle, and demonstrates how "little war" alters the outcome of famous battles. The book begins with a defense of campaign history, which I happen to fully agree with. "One damn battle after another" is the basic stuff of military history, and without it, nothing else can be understood: econoomic and social aspects are secondary to the need to fight as best one can. The author then reviews the makeup of the respective forces, and shows that the British Isles were not a stagnant backwater, but participated in all the current trends in warfare, to the best of their ability. The heart of the book is its chronological history, putting the two famous battles in context of various sieges, raids, ambushes and the like. These little struggles explain why, despite the great English victories at both Flodden and Pinkie, Scotland survived intact. The maps are easily read and clear (adequate maps are a necessity in military history). It is not inexpensive, but well worth the money if you are interested in this era.

Rating:
Summary: A great book on a neglected topic
Review: Mr. Phillips has writen an excellent campaign history on a theater of conflict largely ignored. The two "bookend" battles of Flodden and Pinkie are often alluded to in histories of the British Isles during the 16th century. What this book does is place them in context of a prolonged struggle, and demonstrates how "little war" alters the outcome of famous battles. The book begins with a defense of campaign history, which I happen to fully agree with. "One damn battle after another" is the basic stuff of military history, and without it, nothing else can be understood: econoomic and social aspects are secondary to the need to fight as best one can. The author then reviews the makeup of the respective forces, and shows that the British Isles were not a stagnant backwater, but participated in all the current trends in warfare, to the best of their ability. The heart of the book is its chronological history, putting the two famous battles in context of various sieges, raids, ambushes and the like. These little struggles explain why, despite the great English victories at both Flodden and Pinkie, Scotland survived intact. The maps are easily read and clear (adequate maps are a necessity in military history). It is not inexpensive, but well worth the money if you are interested in this era.